Human Library Organizers Guide 2011

Don't judge a book by its cover!The Living Library Organiser's Guide 2011

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Nick Little

Gülesin Nemutlu

Jasna Magic

Bálint Molnár

EYCB Living Library borito.qxd 2012.01.19. 21:15 Page 3

Don't judge a book by its cover!The Living Library Organiser's Guide 2011

Nick Little

Gülesin Nemutlu

Jasna Magic

Bálint Molnár

EYCB Living Library beliv.qxd 2012.01.19. 21:37 Page 1

The views expressed herein are the responsibility of the authors and do notnecessarily reflect the opinions of the Council of Europe, or the Nordic Council ofMinisters.

All rights reserved. No parts of this publication may be reproduced or transmittedin any form or by means, electronic (CD-ROM, Internet etc) or mechanical,including photocopying, recording or any information storage or retrieval systemwithout the prior permission in writing from the Council of Europe (Directorateof Communication).

All correspondence relating to this publication or the reproduction or translationof all or part of it should be addressed to:

Council of Europe - Youth DepartmentEuropean Youth Centre BudapestZivatar utca 1-31024 BudapestHungaryTel +36 1 438 1030Fax + 36 1 212 4076e-mail: [email protected]

Cover design and layout: Merán StudiosProofreading: Bálint MolnárPhotos: © index and references on pages 84-87Published by the Youth Department of the Council of Europe,European Youth Centre Budapest


CONTENTS

Acknowledgements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

Preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

How to use this guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

Section 1:The History and Methodology of the Living Library . . . . . .9

What is the Living Library? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

Where does the Living Library come from? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12

Why Living Library? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14

Section 2:The Main Ingredients . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19

Are you ready to be an organiser? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20

Defining your objectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23

Choosing your setting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24

Your team: who is who in the Living Library? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33

The catalogue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38

Section 3:The Living Library in Practice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45

Budgeting, venue and physical setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47

Preparing the content and running the library . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52

Materials, promotions, and evaluation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56

Section 4: Materials and Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67

Visibility items . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68

Infrastructure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73

Texts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78


ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Special appreciation for moral, financial, technical and institutional support providedto past and future Living Libraries is hereby extended to:

The Human Library Organization, the Joint Council on Youth of the Council ofEurope, the Youth Department of the Council of Europe, the Nordic Council ofMinisters, the Nordic Committee for Children and Young People, the RoskildeFoundation, the Roskilde Festival, the SZIGET Festival and the Civil Sziget team, theParliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the European Youth Centres inBudapest and Strasbourg.

Above all, the most special gratitude is due to all Books, Readers, Librarians andOrganisers of Living Libraries across Europe and beyond. Without theircommitment, vision and hard work the Living Library would be but a concept.Withthem, it continues to live and flourish.

The authors of this publication wish to apologise for any errors and omissions inadvance.

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PREFACE

Those familiar with programmes promoting intercultural dialogue, human rights,pluralism, and democratic participation – be it in civil society, adult education oryouth work – are frequently confronted with the challenge of coming up withsomething truly ‘new’ and inventive, something that attracts widespread attentionand makes genuine impact.

The Living Library methodology presented in this guide is one such concept. Itsprimary aim is to create constructive personal dialogues between people whowould normally not have the opportunity to speak to each other and thuschallenge common prejudices and stereotypes. It is particularly suitable for large-scale public events, such as festivals and other gatherings attended by hundreds oreven thousands of people. The Living Library is essentially an opportunity forintercultural learning and personal development aimed at people who have little orno access to or time for non-formal educational programmes.

Our social divides are defined by socio-economic, political, and cultural differencesand, sociologically speaking, the notion of the ‘stranger’ is defined by theremoteness we may feel from those others who move and live near us. A 16-year-old student from Finland might find it easier to connect with another 16-year-oldfrom Spain or Turkey than a 50-year-old unemployed factory worker from his orher hometown, living in relative physical proximity. Surrounded by images andfragments of information about others, we are left to our own imagination andassumptions or, just as often, to our prejudices and stereotypes.The Living Librarygives people an opportunity to speak in private and personally to a ‘stranger’ in astructured, protected, yet practically unconstrained environment.This framework isprobably one of the main reasons for the popularity and success of the LivingLibrary: the readers can predict the ‘risk’ they are taking by meeting the ‘other’.

The Living Library became part of the Council of Europe’s programme in 2003 andthe driving force behind its inclusion was the realisation that human rights cannotbe defended and promoted by legal texts alone.There is – today more than everin the recent past – a need to raise awareness among the wider public about theimportance of human rights to the fabric of our democracies and the responsibilityof the individual citizen in realizing abstract human rights in his or her everyday

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interactions.Through its 40-year history, the Council of Europe’s youth sector hasgathered unique and important experience in the field of non-formal andintercultural education based on the principles of human rights, pluralistdemocracy, and cultural diversity.

With this publication, the Council of Europe aims to continue its support andpromotion of the methodology of the Living Library. We believe that the LivingLibrary remains a uniquely useful tool to foster peaceful coexistence,understanding, and tolerance and to bring people closer together in mutual respectfor the human dignity of the individual – whether as books, readers, or organisers.

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HOW TO USE THIS GUIDE

This guide is intended to provide support and direction to Living Library organisersin Europe. The guide has drawn upon the knowledge and experience of LivingLibrary organisers from across the continent, many of whom have been workingwith the concept for over 10 years.We believe that the knowledge and experiencepresented here will be of value to new organisers, helping them to plan, manageand deliver successful Living Library projects. In addition, we believe that theexamples of best practice we have included will improve and strengthen LivingLibraries everywhere.

The guide has been designed to be flexible and can either be read from cover tocover or on a chapter-by-chapter basis. However, we would recommend that neworganisers read the guide in its entirety in order to ensure that the methodologyof the Living Library is fully understood.

The guide is presented in four sections:

The History and Methodology of the Living LibraryThe Main IngredientsThe Living Library in PracticeResources and Materials

We recommend that this guide is used in conjunction with the Council of EuropeLiving Library web portal: www.eycb.coe.int/LivingLibrary/WebForms and and the Human Library website: www.humanlibrary.org

Please note that until 2010, all activity took place under the name Living Library. In2010 the Living Library Organisation was renamed the Human LibraryOrganisation and since then all activity in the UK and US used this name. It is worthremembering that the Human Library and Living Library are the same project, withthe same aims and values.Throughout this publication the term Living Library willbe used to refer to the overall concept and general events, unless expresslyreferring to the Human Library Organisation and its specific projects.

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Section 1:

The History and Methodology of the Living Library


WHAT IS THE LIVING LIBRARY?

The Living Library is an equalities tool that seeks to challenge prejudice anddiscrimination. It works just like a normal library: visitors can browse the cataloguefor the available titles, choose the Book they want to read, and borrow it for alimited period of time.After reading, they return the Book to the library and, if theywant, they can borrow another.

The only difference is that in the Living Library, Books are people, and readingconsists of a conversation.

The Living Library attempts to challenge prejudice by facilitating a conversationbetween two people: Books and Readers. Books are volunteers who have eitherbeen subjected to discrimination themselves or represent groups or individualswithin society that are at risk of suffering from stereotype, stigma, prejudice ordiscrimination. Living Books often have personal experiences of discrimination orsocial exclusion that they are willing to share with Readers. Most importantly,Books give Readers permission to enter into dialogue with them, in the hope thattheir perspectives and experiences will challenge commonly held perceptions andstereotypes and therefore affect the attitudes and behaviours of wider society.

Those of us who attempt to initiate programmes that promote interculturaldialogue are frequently faced with the challenge to come up with somethinginnovative.We are constantly looking for something that can attract the attentionof many and make a real difference to those involved. The Living Library is aninnovative approach to equality and diversity because it addresses the broadsubject of prejudice without emphasizing one specific case over others. At thesame time, it manages to successfully navigate around some of the sensitivities thataccompany anti-prejudice work, while maintaining an element of fun andinteraction that makes the project immensely appealing to both potentialorganisers and participants. This is achieved by creating a safe environment forReaders and Books to engage in open dialogue whose explicit aim is to discusstopics that in almost any other setting would be considered too delicate. At theLiving Library these discussions are possible, indeed, they are surprisingly easy.Becoming one half of that exchange is a rare privilege and one that leaves no onewho experiences it unaffected.

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The simplicity of the Living Library means that it is flexible enough to be used in awide variety of settings and it is particularly suitable for use in public spaces andbuildings, festivals and large gatherings. Wherever it is employed, as long as thedecision to organise an event is motivated by the desire to challenge prejudice, theLiving Library has the potential to change the feelings, perceptions and opinions weall hold about each other. The diversity of our communities is celebrated, thelanguage and labels of stereotype are undermined and challenged, and newattitudes and behaviours are shaped by new and personal experiences. Above all,the Living Library has the potential to affect the way we all see the world, eachother, and the future that we share.

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WHERE DOES THE LIVING LIBRARYCOME FROM?The first-ever Living Library. (Menneske Biblioteket in Danish) was organized inDenmark in 2000 at the Roskilde Festival.The original idea had been developed bya Danish Youth NGO called ‘Stop the Violence’ (Foreningen Stop Volden) as part ofthe activities they offered to festival goers. Based in Copenhagen, ‘Stop theViolence’ was a peer-led youth initiative aiming to educate young people to beactive in the prevention of youth violence and its mission was motivated by thebrutal murder of a mutual friend of the five founders, Dany Abergel,Asma Mouna,Christoffer Erichsen,Thomas Bertelsen, and Ronni Abergel.

Despite some of the initial worries of its young organisers, the first Living Libraryevent at Roskilde was a spectacular success: 75 Living Books volunteered theirtime, and audiences were very receptive to the concept, queuing up to take out themost popular books, the rush was non-stop for four days. In the process, historywas made: the Living Library was born and the first of thousands of volunteers togive their time, energy and commitment to this concept all over the world, satdown with strangers to talk.

The positive experience at Roskilde came to the attention of the Council ofEurope through the then-Director of the European Youth Centre Budapest(EYCB), Antje Rothemund.Through the EYCB, the Danish organisers were broughtinto contact with the organisers of the SZIGET Festival – one of the largest musicfestivals in Europe – and together they organised a Living Library in 2001. Sincethen, the Living Library organized by the EYCB has been a part of the SZIGETFestival each year, 2010 being the only exception.

The Living Library at the SZIGET proved that the methodology could transcendborders, cultures and societies and be adapted to different contexts and settings. In2008, the Human Library Organisation was created in Denmark by several of the foundersof the first Living Library in Roskilde with financial support from the Nordic Council ofMinisters’ Youth Committee.The Human Library Organisation aims to increase socialcohesion and respect for diversity and human rights by uniting active organisers from allparts of the world and by promoting the use of the concept.The network’s websitewww.humanlibrary.org provides a global forum for organisers around the world,and thepossibility to share experiences and to further develop the methodology.

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Since the first edition of “Don’t judge a book by its cover – The Living Library OrganisersGuide” was published in 2005, over 100 Living Libraries have been staged in Europewith Council of Europe advice and support. An equal number of Living Librarieshave taken place worldwide as a result of the active promotion work undertakenby the Human Library Organisation. Driven by the creative energy of thoseinvolved, the methodology has seen application and development in differentenvironments from festival settings, schools, conferences, professional fairs tosmaller youth events such as seminars and international exchanges. Themethodology has also been adapted to create a mobile Living Library travelling ona bus and an on-line Living Library chat.

As it has spread around the world, the Living Library concept has continued torespond to localized contexts while maintaining the original aim: to challengestereotype, stigma, prejudice and discrimination. Thanks to its simplicity and itsflexibility, the concept continues to spread and at the time of writing had beensuccessfully implemented in over 60 countries worldwide.

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WHY LIVING LIBRARY?

Understanding the methodology of the Living Library is a fundamental requirementfor all Living Library organisers. In turn, the methodology has been devised andrefined to serve the main goal of the Living Library: to promote respect for human rightsand human dignity by challenging prejudice through fostering constructive dialogueabout stereotypes that frequently lead to discrimination against individuals or groups.

Put simply, if you want to know how the Living Library works you have tounderstand why the Living Library exists.

The basic methodology of the Living Library has not changed since that first eventat Roskilde in 2000: it was conceived in order to encourage dialogue thatchallenges prejudices, contributing to the breaking down of barriers betweencommunities in the process.

We all have Prejudices

While there is vast academic literature on the typology of stereotype, prejudiceand discrimination, for the purposes of this publication the following shortdefinitions – reflecting the consensus of mainstream social psychology and of thehuman rights field – seem sufficient:

Stereotypes are generalized beliefs about groups and their members;prejudices are unfavorable emotional reactions to or evaluations ofgroups and their members; and interpersonal discrimination is thedifferential treatment by individuals toward some groups and theirmembers relative to other groups and their members.

The most harmful forms stereotype, prejudice and discrimination are directedmost commonly at members of stigmatized groups (historically groups low instructural power, including groups defined by gender, ethnicity, race, social class,sexual orientation, religion, age, physical or psychological impairments, immigrationstatus, or language), including individuals who are members of multiple stigmatizedgroups (e.g., older women) and members simultaneously of stigmatized and non-stigmatized groups (e.g., gay men).

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Stereotypes, prejudice and discrimination have the potential to particularly harmindividuals who are members of groups that are afforded less societal power tocounteract the negative effects of such discrimination. Crucially, they have negativeeffects on intergroup relations, by fostering distrust and promoting threat and canresult in the loss of life, profound social, economic, and psychological consequencesthrough violence, ethnic conflict, and, in extreme cases, even genocide.

The Living Library was created and is motivated by the realization that most peopleuse stereotypes in their interactions with other people at least some of the time.Almost no one can truthfully declare that they have no prejudices at all or that theydo not subject others, even if unconsciously, to stereotype. Stereotypes canautomatically be activated even in individuals who strive to be prejudice-free.This isdue to most people not being consciously aware of the precise moments when theirattitudes and judgments are being influenced by a particular, pre-existing stereotype.

As we mentioned above,no one can truly declare that they do not stereotype others.A stereotype is a formulaic and generalized image of a person or group, which doesnot acknowledge any individual differences within a particular group, be it based ongender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or any other such commonality. Stereotypes arenaturally appealing because they allow us to categorize the people and things aroundus. Just like prejudice, stereotypes can be inherited from people and culture.

“Very often…stereotypes are used to justify and support the beliefs and values of themajority population.The ‘common’ is perceived as the ‘normal’ and things done by distinctsocial groups or minorities are devalued when they do not conform to these ‘norms’. Oneof the most striking elements of stereotypes and prejudice is that they are usually createdby the powerful and applied to the weak who cannot control the way they are perceivedby others nor are they able to change these perceptions.”

(Is this a stereotype? A tool for fighting stereotypes towards Roma, R Garbutt.)

Prejudice and stereotype can lead to stigma, - such as those surrounding mentalhealth, sexual orientation, and gender reassignment, to name only the mostobvious. When we negatively judge individuals or groups who we perceive to bedifferent from ourselves we are engaging in discrimination.

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Challenging your prejudice by meeting it

Research has shown that intergroup contact can significantly reduce harmfulstereotypes and demonstrated that prejudice and contact are significantly andinversely correlated. In other words, the more people belonging to different groupsare in contact with each other, the more pre-existing negative stereotypes arereduced.Three key stages of stereotype-mitigation have been identified:

1) Increased information about the other group results in cognitive“approaching” to that group.

2) As a result of personal contact, the negative tension relating to the othergroup decreases.

3) Empathy towards the other group is strengthened.

The Living Library is a prime example of contact-based prejudice reduction. Itsmethodology is based on facilitating intergroup contact in a widely familiarframework (i.e. the library).

As there are many ways to combat prejudices and stereotypes, why should we usethe Living Library? The purpose of the Living Library is enabling short, intensive andfacilitated contact between Readers and Books – offering those holding possibleprejudices to meet the objects of their prejudice.

The library framework helps the participants to quickly understand the rules andto comply with them: the Librarians welcome the Reader and help him or her toselect a Book from the Catalogue. The role of the Catalogue is central: it isessentially a list of stereotypes, intentionally compiled to be slightly provocativewith assistance from each of the Books, based on their own personal experiences.Books are members of their groups who are both authentic and open to a personaldiscussion.

It is important to emphasize that the conversational framework of the LivingLibrary is not trying to convince, convert or pressure anyone into acceptinganything they don’t feel they can agree with or relate to, but it does endorse theprinciple that under the appropriate conditions we are all capable of overcomingthe fears we might have of “the other”.

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The Living Library provides a unique venue for intercultural experience andinteraction. There are precious few other occasions where one would have theopportunity, let alone feel comfortable, asking a complete stranger to describewhat is like to be HIV+, where one could directly inquire why someone underwentgender re-assignment, or ask an immigrant why they chose to live in one’s nativecountry.And even more importantly, it is hard to think of another situation whereone would be encouraged to ask a stranger such direct questions.

The Living Library experience is an unrivalled privilege where people are notdiscouraged from having prejudices, but indeed are offered the opportunity tocome face-to-face with them.They are asked to open the cover instead of simplyjudging the book by it.

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Section 2:

The Main Ingredients


ARE YOU READY TO BE AN ORGANISER?

Any association, organisation, institution, or initiative planning to organise and stagea Living Library event should first reflect on the intention and possibilities of doingso and set clear objectives for the Living Library itself and for the place andpurpose of the activity within the wider context of the organisers’ regularactivities.

There are many reasons why the Living Library is an appealing concept to would-be organisers. Without doubt, the simplicity of the concept generates instantappeal, offering an interactive experience that can engage the public with big issuessuch as equality, diversity and human rights.

Organising a Living Library, however, involves a considerable amount of work andthe task should not be underestimated. It requires a great deal of careful planning,preparation, and committed implementation.

The following pages are intended as a practical guide for both first-time andexperienced Living Library organisers. For those who have never organised a LivingLibrary event before, we would like to provide a clear roadmap to prepare and runtheir first event. For those who have already run Living Libraries before, wehopefully will be able to provide additional examples of best practices as well assome food for further thought about the possibilities – and indeed, some of thelimitations – of the Living Library concept.

The following list is essentially an inventory of the basic pre-requisites for asuccessful Living Library event. All would-be organisers should consider thesecarefully before embarking on running a Living Library.

Understand the methodology

The methodology is the most important aspect of the Living Library concept. If anorganiser begins their journey without understanding the methodology they are indanger of undermining the entire project. If their event deviates from themethodology and does not seek to fulfil the aims of the project, all of the

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participants will have been given a false impression of the concept. Organisers mustmake sure that they fully understand and support the methodology of the LivingLibrary and do not compromise, adapt or alter it to suit their needs.

Organise an inclusive event

Your event should strive to include Books from all groups that are subjected tonegative stereotyping in your community. Remember, at its core the Living Libraryis a tool to promote human rights and human dignity and these concepts are bothuniversal and indivisible.While there have been successful events in the past wherethe focus was on a specific group (e.g. immigrants or asylum seekers) these eventsare the exception rather than the rule. A Living Library should function as akaleidoscope of a given community’s diversity and thereby enable participants tocome in contact with that diversity, understand it better and, eventually, accept andcelebrate it.

Share our values

The by-now global nature of the Living Library concept means that your efforts inyour local area will make a vital contribution to a much larger effort to tackleprejudice around the world. Therefore, as an organiser, you are about to write anew chapter in the history of the Living Library. Essentially, we are asking you toshare our values in order to help us protect and maintain the integrity of theproject.

Be a positive advocate

Your motive must only be to use the Living Library for its intended purpose –promoting human rights through challenging stereotypes and prejudice - and for noother. It is with this motivation that you will begin promoting the idea to potentialpartners, supporters and champions. Not only do you have an obligation to

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subscribe to the values yourself, you must communicate these values to everyonewho becomes involved – your organising team, your volunteer staff, your Booksand your Readers. Everyone involved needs to understand what the Living Libraryis, why they are taking part, the history of the Living Library and how it works inpractice. It is vital that everyone involved subscribes to this agreement, and that theyou, the organiser, communicate this agreement clearly to all the parties involved.

Do you have the capacity?

Beyond subscribing to the values underpinning the Living Library concept andunderstanding its basic methodology there is the important matter oforganisational capacity.

The following simple points will help you determine whether you have thesufficient personal and organisational capacity to plan, prepare, and implement asuccessful Living Library event.

1. Organising a Living Library will take up a great deal of your time.• Are you in a position to devote a considerable amount of time to this project?

2. You are going to need an organising team.• Can you identify potential supporters or partners who might become part of

your team? Can you lead your team?

3. You will need the support of your employer or organisation.• Do you have that support?

4. You will be working hard to enthuse others to join your project andbecome organisers, Books and Staff. You will also have to reach out topartners and/or sponsors.

• Do you have the skills and enthusiasm to successfully promote the Living Libraryand recruit others to support it?

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DEFINING YOUR OBJECTIVES

As it was already established, the Living Library is a means of promoting respectfor human rights and human dignity. It aims to raise awareness of and enableconstructive dialogue about prejudices that frequently lead to discriminationagainst individuals or groups.

Accordingly, when taking on this activity, it is important to realise that the main aimof the Living Library is predefined, whereas more detailed and specific objectivesshould define the desired realistic and achievable local impacts for your specificevent.

By way of suggestion, you may want to develop your Living Library’s detailedobjectives in relation to:

• young people’s awareness of stereotypes and prejudices and theirnegative consequences

• visibility of human rights issues

• reactions to current or recent events in your country or community (e.g. increase in hate crimes or human rights violations)

• a specific occasion directly related to the mission of the Living Library topromote tolerance and respect for human rights (e.g. Human Rights Day,World Refugee Day, etc.)

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CHOOSING YOUR SETTING

One of the great strengths of the Living Library is that it is flexible enough to workalmost anywhere, provided there are people! A Living library can last from twohours to a week and the number of Books can range from 10 to 100. Provided youhave the space, you can do it almost anywhere!

Choosing a suitable and appropriate venue for your Living Library is vitallyimportant and will have a profound effect upon the project that you ultimatelydeliver. In many cases, the setting will determine the days on which the LivingLibrary will take place, the opening hours of the Library, the number of Books youare able to recruit and accommodate, as well as the level and nature of promotionalactivity your Library will need, both before and during the event.And last, but notleast, the setting of your Living Library will determine the composition of yourlikely audience.

For instance, large public events, such as major music festivals like Roskilde orSZIGET, offer an opportunity to organise larger Living Libraries that have thepotential to reach a very wide and diverse audience. At the same time however,while you may have a greater number of potential Readers, the Living Library iscompeting for the attention of the audience with many other events, activities andopportunities for your potential Readers. Organising a Living Library in a school,public library or at a conference offers an opportunity to target a more specificaudience, but can require a great deal of promotion and publicity in order toguarantee visitor numbers.

Whichever option you choose to take, you should be aware that the effort ofplanning and preparing a Living Library will be equally demanding, whether theLiving Library is part of a larger event or festival, or a stand-alone event running forjust a few hours.

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General considerations on the setting:

• The number of potential readers will be hard to predict during thepreparation period. Nonetheless, one can make educated guesses. In alarge festival, if 5000 people pass by the Living Library daily, probably 500will stop to take a look, 200 might look at the Catalogue, and 50 mightbecome Readers.

• The duration and opening hours of your Living Library should conformto the type of event it is part of and the nature of your audience. In afestival, it is recommended that your Library is open between midday and7 PM, the closing time indicating the latest possible time a Book can betaken out.

• An informal, visually attractive, inviting and relaxed setting puts bothBooks and Readers at ease and promotes dialogue.

• The inner area of the Library (where the Books sit) should be visible,while being semi-closed so that public flow can be regulated.The spaceshould be large enough to provide seats and tables for all Books as wellas the Librarians.

• The Librarians should be located at a front counter at the entrance asthey are the first point of contact for the Readers.Their counters shouldhave a space large enough for several Readers to sit and leaf through theCatalogue.

• The physical setup should clearly suggest to potential Readers that theycannot simply walk up to any Book and start talking.

• There should be soft drinks, small snacks and reading material availablefor Books during the opening hours.

• The setup should consider the possibility of inclement weather.

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The Living Library as part of a festival or other large-scale event

The festival setting offers many advantages to the Living Library organiser. Summerfestivals, youth events and NGO fairs often have large audiences and are primarilyattended by young people and those generally open to a cultural experience.Typically, festival grounds are parks or other natural surroundings that providemany places for Readers and Books enjoy their conversations. In addition, manypeople who visit festivals are not necessarily involved in civil society movementsand may not otherwise attend a human rights activity, such as the Living Library, asa stand-alone event.

Another advantage of festivals is that the audience and the general atmosphere, isusually relaxed and highly tolerant. This does not mean that Readers at festivalshave fewer prejudices than people elsewhere, but rather that festivals tend tocreate an atmosphere that complements the aims of the Living Library. Adisadvantage however is that many festivals charge an entrance fee, thereforeaccess to the Living Library is only available to those who have bought a ticket.Organisers should also take into consideration the possibility of inclement weatherconditions affecting the numbers of visitors to the festival or Living Library.

The Living Library organiser would normally contact the festival organiser with aproposal for staging the activity. Many festivals and youth fairs actively seekinteresting new activities, and this should work to your advantage. As we havealready discussed, it is an organiser’s responsibility to clearly and effectivelycommunicate the aims and methodology of the Living Library to any potentialpartner or supporter, and this would include a festival organiser. If the interest andsupport of the festival organizer is unclear, or if their aims will conflict with thevalues of the Living Library, we would recommend that you do not continue topursue organizing a Living Library in this setting. The motivation of the host tosupport and uphold the values of the Living Library the event needs to be evidentand would preferably be accompanied by a written agreement.

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Large festivals usually have a rigid infrastructure and are often commercial events,charging entrance fees to visitors.At the same time, space is often limited and thehosts have to meet many different requests. When negotiating with festivalorganisers, it is important to get their agreement to support the Living Library byproviding:

• free festival passes for Books and staff

• the possibility to transport material and set up on site before the openingof the festival

• special access for Books with disabilities (e.g. a car pass)

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Péter Wootsch has been involved with the Living Library as one ofthe organisers of the SZIGET Festival in Hungary.

It was not difficult for one of the organisers of the Living Library at the 2000 Roskilde festivalto convince me, one hot spring day in 2001 in the garden of the European Youth Centre Budapest,of the value of the Library for the SZIGET Festival's Civil Island section. However, the festival wasjust two and a half months away, and it was not easy to prepare the project so quickly. First ofall, we had to understand clearly how the Living Library worked and how it is possible to implementit in practice. The result of the Living Library in 2001 was far from perfect. In planning for 2002,we tried to avoid obvious mistakes of the past; we began preparing earlier, training the librariansand involving them in the planning. We were more careful in choosing and briefing the Books andwe introduced a slogan "Just read, don't judge." The Living Library was open for seven days andwe ran it with 32 books and had more than 300 readers. The new T-shirt was very popular andwith a special offer to our Readers ("Get a free t-shirt after reading four books") we substantiallyincreased our loans.


• a central yet relatively quiet location for the Library, with sufficiently largespace to accommodate all Books and Readers

• equipment, such as tents, chairs, tables, and access to electricity

• inclusion in promotional materials (festival programme, announcements,press releases, etc)

• access to camping grounds

• access to toilet and shower facilities

• additional financial support

In return, Living Library organizers should formulate realistic demands regardingspace and the support they will require.They should also make efforts to mentionthe hosts as sponsors/supporters in all written and promotional materials,acknowledging their support in brochures, and printing the festival logo on allLibrary materials, though this should remain secondary to any Living Librarybranding.

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The Living Library in a public or academic library

Public and academic libraries have hosted many Living Libraries to date. A LivingLibrary in a public library will usually last for a few hours or maybe a whole day andmight feature a smaller number of Books than a festival Living Library. Theadvantage of hosting a Living Library in a public or academic library is that you havean opportunity to use a regular footfall to your advantage. It is unlikely that themajority of visitors that day will come to the library to borrow a “living” book.However, if staff are proactive with promotion and engage with customers in apositive manner, many visitors will become Living Library Readers too.

If you choose a public library, promotional activities both before and during theevent will ultimately determine the success of your Living Library.You must find away to inspire the local community to visit the library, especially if they are notregular library users. If your promotion is successful you will attract new visitorsto the library through the Living Library project (although your aim should remainchallenging prejudice, this would be a welcome additional benefit).

The Living Library in a main square or public park

Another possible setting for Living Libraries could be the main squares and publicparks in towns and cities, and even villages. Living Libraries in settings like this maybe stand-alone events or might form part of wider celebrations such as publicfestivals, street parties, national or international celebrations. If your event is notattached to a larger event, the ultimate success of the Living Library will dependupon the number of people that pass by, and therefore the number of Readers willbe hard to predict. However, organizing a Library in a main square or city park willbe successful provided that there has been an intensive promotional campaign,particularly if you can involve local media.

Setting up a Living Library in a town or city centre is similar to organizing a LivingLibrary within a large event.There are some advantages to this choice of setting:the Living Library may be the only activity in the surrounding area so visitorspassing by are more likely to participate. Another advantage is that you get tochoose the exact location of your Living Library (provided the local authority has

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given you permission), and have more control over the way the Living Library is setup.Although there are some disadvantages too – you will need to provide all thematerials yourself: chairs, tents, benches, tables, refreshments and possibly eventoilets! In addition, if the Living Library is due to last for more than one day youmight need to set it up and take it down each day depending upon the policies ofthe local authority and the security measures in places at the venue.

An advantage in a public setting is that you will get all sorts of visitors, from a widerange of professions, age groups and backgrounds. This gives you much morepotential to challenge prejudice across the community, but might require a largerskill-set among your staff. If you understand your community well you can arrangeto recruit staff volunteers who are capable and trained to engage with any type ofvisitor.

In addition, a Living Library in a public setting will also attract visitors interested inparticipating in the project as Books, volunteers, or potential partners andsupporters.Visitors may include those already working in human rights, equalitiesor within the NGO sector who can promote the event on your behalf (this is veryrare in festivals).

The Living Library in schools

Schools are a fantastic venue for a Living Library. As an organizer you are in aprivileged position: you are offering a fun and innovative learning experience to acaptive audience of young people. Living Libraries in schools can last for a few hours,or maybe a whole day, but should not exceed this timescale due to the impact uponthe school’s timetable. However, they can be hosted at different times throughoutthe school year and repeated each subsequent year for a different age group.

There are many advantages for a school in hosting a Living Library:

• Students will learn social skills and increase their understanding ofminority groups.

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• Students will become familiar with local issues and might even becomeinspired to become active within their communities

• Students will get first hand experience of learning from real life stories

There are various ways you can organise a Living Library in schools:

• During classes – but here you must ensure that the classes are at least90-minute long to ensure that students can borrow at least two Books.

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Trygve Augestad was the local coordinator for a Living Library hostedat Alvarn Ungdomsskole (Alvarn Youth School) in Nesodden, Norway.It was organised by Norsk Folkehjelpp (Norwegian People's Aid) inOctober 2003:

The Living Library was organized in connection with "International Week" at the Alvarn CommunityYouth School for 84 students. Norwegian "People's Aid", in co-operation with "Stop the Violence"Denmark, wanted to try out the concept of the Living Library as an educational method in aschool environment.We established contact with three teachers at the school who expressed interestin the concept, and decided to organise the event for the students during normal classes. We weregiven a three-hour time frame for the activity, and the aim was to give the students new knowledgeabout people and groups that they have little or no regular contact with, and to bring issues ofstereotypes and prejudices to their attention. The description of the stereotypes and prejudices waswritten in cooperation with the Books, and handed to the school the day before the event. Theteachers then presented the Books to the students and made a list of their requests, which theyin turn distributed to the Books.We set up some rules for loan and had a maximum of 5 readersper Book and a limit of 3 Books per reader. 84 out of the 350 students at the school wereinvited to take part as readers. The interest from the other students was overwhelming, but timeconstraints and the limited number of Books meant we had to apply this limit. The Books werepre-ordered by the students, and the list of loans was ready when the excited students showed upat the school media centre.


• As a day event together with other organized activities taking place in theschool.

• After classes.

• As a module consisting of a workshop and a Living Library together fora single class.

You have to consider a host of practical issues before deciding that arranging aLiving Library at a school is feasible.As a start, you will need to negotiate with theschool the day and time of the Living Library.You will have to make clear that it isyou, the organiser who selects the final list of Books.You will have to prepare yourBooks regarding the type of school and the age of the students in order to enablethe Books to accommodate their language and expressions to this particularaudience.

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YOUR TEAM – WHO IS WHO IN THELIVING LIBRARY?

Organisers

It is strongly advised to assemble a core group of organisers from the outset, whowill be enthusiastic about the Living Library and keen to introduce it in theircommunity.

The organising team will be responsible for the planning, delivery and evaluation ofthe project. Based on experience, it is better to have a group of 5-7 people for thepreparation phase and then involve more volunteers for the event itself; anorganising group that is too big can be difficult to manage and motivate over alonger period.

If you work with a partner organisation, it is good to have a team made up ofpeople representing each of the partners. Make sure already at the outset that allpeople on your team share the values of the Living Library and that they will notdrop out because of some late realization that they do not want to work with aparticular group (e.g. gay people or immigrants).

Books

As in a real library, the Books are the most important resource of the LivingLibrary. It is important to put together a collection of good "literature" and to lookafter the Books well. The selection and recruitment of the Books is perhaps themost crucial, complex, and sensitive aspect of a Living Library.

Not everyone who wants to be a Book can be one. Books should consciouslyrepresent groups that are at risk of stereotyping, prejudice, and discrimination.Books must be informed and trained on how to be a book.They have to be ableto work well together and should be ready and able to talk about themselves.Theyshould be both mentally and physically able and ready to be part of the LivingLibrary. Books should have mature and stable personalities and be ready and ableto communicate with wide array of Readers. Most importantly, they must be

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authentic, with meaningful personal experiences on their subjects as well as reliableand willing to commit themselves to the expectations of the Living Libraryorganisers.

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Useful hints for would-be Books:

• Prepare yourself for your role of being a Book. You have to be convinced about thetitle you are representing.

• It can be useful to prepare some factual information (statistics, research, etc) in orderto evaluate the relevance of information some readers might confront you with.

• Be yourself: be honest and open to talk. Listen carefully.• Do not act another role or invent characteristics for yourself. The reader will eventually

realize and you will lose credibility.• Be ready to share your reflected personal experience. If questions become too intimate,

feel free to say that you do not want to answer.• Accept and remember that your Reader has borrowed your title and is interested

mainly in that aspect of your personality. While it may feel limiting, this is normal inthe context of the Living Library.

• While you might have to repeat yourself over and over to different Readers, try totreat each of your Readers as if he or she was the first one.

• Readers will be interested in your title for a variety of reasons. A good question tostart the conversation is 'Why did you choose my book?'

• It may turn out that a reader is ignorant or for some reason becomes verbally aggressiveand/or attempts to hold you responsible for a variety of social problems. Try to remaincalm and show understanding, while expressing your disagreement where necessary.

• It may happen that you are borrowed by two or more people. While this can be veryinteresting, try to avoid being used to sort out differences of opinion between your Readers.

• If you work with a Dictionary, pause after every two-three sentences to ensure thateverything you say is translated.

• If you feel uneasy or humiliated by a Reader, recall the rules of the Living Library:you have the right to end the discussion if you feel insulted.

• And above all, enjoy being a Book! It can be a very enriching and interesting experience.


Organisers should be mindful of the risks when inviting a Book that is simplyinteresting, but is not facing stereotyping or the risk of prejudice and discrimination.You can have more than one Book with the same title, especially when it comes topopular titles.This not only makes people generalize that particular title, but also, asa practical benefit, allows these popular Books to rest between readings.

Librarians

At the heart of the Living Library are the Librarians, who have the primary task offacilitating the loan of Books.The Librarians connect the reader and the Book: theyare the first people the Readers come into contact with and must be able tocommunicate and work patiently with Books and Readers alike during thesometimes complicated and delicate deliberations and decision making processes.

If possible, it is recommended to recruit trained and experienced (i.e. real) librariansto fill the role in your Living Library as they already possess most of the skillsnecessary for the many practical functions they are expected to fill, such as issuingthe Books, filling our library cards, updating the available list of Books, handing outand collecting evaluation questionnaires and guarding the Living Library’s rules.

Librarians are responsible for issuing the Books. Their responsibilities includemanaging a desk or central point where records of loans are made and evaluationscompleted. Depending on context, other duties may include issuing library cards,counting Readers and handing out evaluation questionnaires and otheradministrative functions.

Librarians also have an important explanatory function: they help Readersunderstand the concept, find the relevant Book and understand the library rules.Librarians also might be approached by the press during the event, and thereforeit is important that they have relevant and accurate information about theorganisers and the hosts.A typical Living Library would need at least two Librariansworking simultaneously and, for practical purposes, should be easily recognisable bytheir t-shirts or badges.

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Staff

Volunteer staff are also crucial to the success of the Living Library. It should not beexpected that merely organising a Living Library attracts Readers to participate.Atevery event volunteers and organisers must work in a variety of ways to ensurethat the Books are read and that as many people as possible are given theopportunity to participate.

For all the organisers’ time and effort to get everything ready in the build up, it willcount for little if the event does not facilitate conversations on the day, or days, thatit lasts. Staff are the people who will do this, so equally, without Staff there is noLiving Library.

Staff members – In addition to attending to logistics, safety and security, press andmedia relations, and host relations – have two crucially important roles to fill:

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Good advice from past Librarians:

• Get to know the content and interesting facts about the Books in your collection prior tothe event.

• Be strict in applying the library rules and demand the same from Readers and Books.• Document all loans accurately.• Set up a work-plan with your fellow Librarians.• Use downtime to collect feedback from Readers and Books.• Take good care of the Books and filter potentially difficult Readers (by redirecting the

Reader to another Book, inviting them to stay within the library's premises or send anaccompanying Dictionary).

• Get to know the environment of the library so that you can recommend places for readingoutside the premises.


Facilitators/Promoters

Facilitators/Promoters possibly have the most difficult job.They are responsible forengaging potential participants and encouraging them to become Readers. Theymust be confident communicators with a good understanding of the methodology.At large events they could also distribute promotional material and assist inevaluation by handing out and collecting readers’ questionnaires.

Dictionaries/Translators/Interpreters

The special Books are responsible for providing translation services for anotherlanguage or if the Book or the Reader requires further assistance due to disabilityor physical condition.

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THE CATALOGUE

As it was already mentioned above, the compilation of the catalogue – and thesubsequent recruitment of the Books that fit your needs – is the most difficult andsensitive, yet also the most crucial part of the preparation of your Living Libraryevent. The size and content of your catalogue will differ according to the settingand the capacity of your Living Library.

General guidelines

The Book titles must relate to a representative group of people who are frequentlysubjected to stereotyping, prejudices and are at the risk of facing discrimination. Itis the organisers’ responsibility to interpret these guidelines in their own specificcontext, ensuring that their selection adheres to the values and mission of theLiving Library.

The catalogue should be large enough to offer a real choice to the Readers, but atthe same time it should not exceed the capacities of the organisers, in terms ofavailable space and the resources required for recruiting, briefing, and looking afterthe Books. From experience, it is possible to suggest that a catalogue shouldinclude a minimum of twenty Books for it to be interesting, and be limited to nomore than fifty Books to remain manageable.

The Book titles should be accompanied by descriptions detailing some of thefrequently encountered stereotypes and prejudices. It is helpful to collect anddiscuss these before finally deciding on the Book titles.

Book titles

The following list gives some examples of successful book titles used previously inLiving Libraries. The list is neither exhaustive nor binding; it simply aims to giveinspiration for organisers preparing their final list to the setting where the LivingLibrary is staged.

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Animal Rights Activist, Asylum-Seeker, Black Person, Blond Woman, Blind Person,Born-Again Christian, Disabled Person, Ex-Drug Abuser, Ex-Neo Nazi, Ex-Prisoner,Feminist, Gay Person, Homeless Person, Jew, Lesbian, Muslim, Priest, Police Officer,Rabbi, Unemployed Person.

Compiling the catalogue

Compiling the catalogue for the Living Library involves three main steps:

• deciding on the criteria and composition of the collection,

• allocating the most frequent stereotypes and prejudices to the individualtitles, and

• producing the actual catalogue to be presented to the Readers.

Criteria for the collection

The best approach to putting together the collection if often a brainstormingsession between the organisers and, possibly, experts they might want to invite.Brainstorming involves listing on a flipchart those people in your community whocould be subjected to stereotyping and prejudice.At this point, the goal is to simplyget a list on paper. It is not advisable to use catalogues developed in a differentcultural context without thorough revision and adaptation.Once you have your list,start whittling it down by eliminating those that do not find consensus in yourgroup.This process will result in a shortlist, ideally anywhere between 20 and 50Books, guided by the size of your event and the resources and possibilities availableto you as the organiser.

When finalizing your catalogue, you are advised to take into account the followingconsiderations:

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• The titles should be concise and easy to understand. Stereotypes,prejudices – and, therefore, the eventual Book titles – are not exceedinglycomplicated and you should strive for simplicity and accessibility in orderto make it easier for Readers to navigate the catalogue.

• The catalogue should include a diverse array of Books in order to attracta large number of potential Readers. A ‘specialized’ Living Library wouldlikely attract only a limited audience and lose its attraction by appearingtoo narrow. This diversity you should strive for means recruiting Booksfrom all walks of life and not composing a catalogue solely of, for instance,ethnic minorities or women who have been discriminated against.

• One possible limited interpretation of groups suffering discriminationcould be based on legally existing anti-discrimination standards, such asthose listed in the European Convention of Human Rights. In this case,the Books might stand for certain religious, sexual or ethnic minorities,such as gays or lesbians, Muslims or Roma.

• A wider interpretation also responds to prevalent, locally recognisablestereotypes of people according to their appearance, profession, or theirconsumption habits or lifestyle.

• The catalogue might also include representatives of professionsparticularly stereotyped by young people, such as teachers or socialworkers.

• The Living Library can provide a possibility to get to know young people’ssubcultures and affiliations by including books such as Skateboarder, GraffitiArtist, and so on.This is particularly interesting for young people who maybe prejudiced against members of a subculture other than their own.

Finally, and importantly: given the strong educational dimension of the Living Library,it is not advisable to include Books in the catalogue that could potentially promoteunhealthy or dangerous behaviour (such as Drug Addict or Football Hooligan),

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morally and politically questionable views (such as Neo Nazi), or those who mighttry to use the opportunity to promote their own interests or narrow mission, as withmembers of aggressively proselytizing sects or sales representatives. On the otherhand, it is advisable to include Books that have overcome an addiction or successfullychanged negative, destructive or antisocial behaviour (such as Former Drug Abuser,Former Bank Robber, or Former Skinhead). In such cases, it is best to recruit Booksknown personally to the organisers or those that come reliably recommended.

Allocating stereotypes to the Book titles

For each title on your list, you should try and collect the most frequent stereotypesand prejudices associated with it. The list of stereotypes and prejudices for eachtitle should be agreed upon by consensus and should then be finalised by the Booksthemselves once they have been recruited. It is essential that the Books agree withthe list of stereotypes and prejudices listed under their titles. Experience hasshown that Books often make important changes and additions during the briefingmeeting.

When finalizing the list of stereotypes and prejudices associated to each title, it isworth keeping in mind the following points:

• Readers usually glance through the catalogue quickly and therefore thelanguage should not be complicated or overly technical.

• Simple adjectives are the best way to formulate rough prejudices (‘dirty’,‘lazy’, ‘dangerous’, etc) but you should also consider including short halfsentences if necessary (‘not good enough for a real job’ is easier tounderstand than ‘unemployable’, for instance).

• Slang can be helpful, but try to avoid foul language.

• Try to have no less than four and no more than seven adjectives/statements when describing a Book.

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• You may consider phrasing the stereotypes/prejudices as questionsinstead of statements (e.g. ‘Feminist: Hates men?’ vs. ‘Feminist: Hatesmen.’).This approach has the welcome effect of not appearing to confirmthe given stereotype or prejudice and already encouraging putting thesequestions directly to the Books and enabling them to refute the implicitstatement.

Producing the catalogue

The physical catalogue of the Living Library is the main tool for engaging thepotential Readers once they have shown sufficient interest to approach the Libraryand consider taking out a Book. It is most often the basis for their choice amongthe Books and it should therefore be visually attractive, easy to leaf through,written clearly and concisely and, last but not least, sturdy to withstand heavy usageduring the course of one or possibly more Living Library events.

Here are some practical suggestions for the catalogue:

• At large-scale events many people will browse through the cataloguewithout necessarily becoming Readers. Use materials resistant to dust,dirt, rain and that can be easily cleaned after a busy day.

• Ring binders provide the ideal cover for the catalogue as they allow foreasy changes and additions (as the collection might change during thecourse of a multi-day event).

• Produce one sheet per Book on A4-sized paper. Protect them either byusing plastic sleeves or by laminating them.

• The Book titles should be large type and bold to enable quick and easyrecognition.

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• Produce several copies of the catalogue (3-4 for a larger event).There willbe peak times when plenty of people might want to browse through yourcatalogue as they become intrigued by seeing others studying it. Makesure you have more catalogues to go around so that no one loses interestdue to having to wait to see the catalogue.

• Consider producing multi-lingual catalogues for events like festivals,where your reading public is multinational.

• If you have Books that speak additional languages, add those to theircatalogue pages.

• If you have Dictionaries, you should add the list of available languages inthe catalogue.

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Section 3:

The Living Library in Practice


PLANNING, PREPARATION,ANDIMPLEMENTATION

The Living Library is a project that requires detailed organization and gooddelegation. Important considerations that influence the amount of work involvedinclude:

• the size of the Library and the number of Books involved

• the duration if the activity and the opening hours

• the degree and nature of the support from the venue host

• the available budget for promotion and promotional materials

In general, the planning, preparation and implementation of a Living Library eventcan be divided into three principal work areas:

1. Budgeting,Venue and Physical Setup

2. Preparing the Content and Running the Library

3. Materials, Promotions, and Evaluation

In the following pages – using the three main work areas as our framework – weare offering a detailed implementation toolkit for Living Library organizers to helpthem out the methodology into practice.

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BUDGET,VENUE AND PHYSICAL SETUP

Budget

The cost of Living Library events can vary greatly, depending on their length, thenumber of Books involved, or the nature of their venue.

How much is your event or project going to cost? In order to budget for yourexpenses you must plan for any potential costs related to the various ingredientsof a Living Library event:

Venue

Are there any costs incurred by the venue you have chosen? If so what are they?• Is there a charge for occupying your desired venue?• Do you need insurance?• If the setting is a festival, are tables and chairs included or will you need

to hire them separately? Will you need entrance tickets for your team?• How much time will this take to organise?

People

Are there any costs associated with people?• Will you have to pay per-diems for Books and staff?• Will you have to provide transport for Books and Staff?• How many people do you need to transport?• How much will refreshments cost for your team? • How much time will it take to organize the people?

Materials

How much will event materials cost?• How many t-shirts will you need for Books and Staff?• How many banners/posters/flyers will you need? What other signage do

you need? How much will signage cost?

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• Do you have access to a printer for event materials such as the Catalogueand Library Cards?

• How much time will it take to organize the event materials?

Promotion

How much will promotional materials cost? What do you need?• How many posters/flyers will you need?• Do you plan to advertise in magazines or newspapers or the radio? How

much does that cost?• How much time will it take to organize promotion?

Evaluation

Will my evaluation incur any costs?• How many evaluation forms will you need? • How many Books will you recruit? • How many readers do you want to attract?• How much time will it take to assess the feedback?

If you are preparing for your first Living Library event it is worth remembering thatyou will have to devote considerable time and effort (and therefore ultimately,money) for the search and recruitment of books, partners, venues and somevisibility and equipment items. Most of these startup investments, however, willcontinue to serve your organisation for years to come. Consequently, costs forsubsequent Living Libraries are likely to be much lower than those associated withthe first one.

Venue and physical setup

Choosing a suitable venue is very important and your choice can have a hugeimpact on the Living Library that you eventually deliver. The venue directlyimpacts upon the number of Books and Staff you will recruit, how much

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promotion and publicity you will require, the opening hours of your event, andhow many Readers you can potentially attract.

Now is the time to return to your list of potential venues and make an analysis ofeach venue using the following criteria:

• Context of your event or project• Location of the venue• The space available to you• The facilities on site• Any costs you will incur• The number of Readers you can potentially attract• The Opening Hours of your Living Library

An example of this kind of analysis is given below:

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Context

You must ensure that the venue you choose is appropriate for your Living Library.To do this it is worth looking at the context in which your Living Library will beset:

• Will your Living Library be part of a larger event or are you planning tohold a stand-alone event?

• What time of year is your event taking place? Will it be hot, cold or wet?Is your venue suitable for the time of year?

• Will the venue impact upon the time you begin and end your LivingLibrary?

Location

If your Living Library forms part of a larger event the location may be out of yourcontrol. If your Living Library is stand-alone you will need to consider the bestvenue available to you.

• Are you working within a specific community or geographical area? If sois your venue a suitable community space?

• Will you attract high numbers of visitors at this venue?• Is the venue accessible?• Will Books and Readers be able to have conversations safely?• At festivals: does your Library’s proximity to the various music and party

venues allow for proper conversations to take place?

If you want to work with a specific community or in a certain area, then you maywish to carry out some consultation with Books and potential Readers and settleon a place that feels comfortable to all.

Space

The decisions you take regarding the context and location of your Living Libraryhave to be balanced with the physical space that you will require.You may have to

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compromise at this point: for example, the location may be crucial to achievingyour aims so your plans may need to be adapted in order to make best use of thespace available.

Facilities

Organisers also need to consider the facilities available at the venue.

• Is the building accessible to everyone you hope will take part? • Can refreshments be provided by the venue or will you need to bring

these with you? • Does the venue have chairs and tables and the materials required to run

the event or will these need to be transported there?• Does the venue have available toilets?• Does the venue have space available for praying?

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PREPARING THE CONTENT ANDRUNNING THE LIBRARY

For new organisers recruiting Books can be one of the most demanding tasks andcan create great anxiety. It is common to wonder where and how you will findBooks.And once you have found them it is equally common to feel anxious aboutwhether they are suitable for the Living Library, or whether it will be a positiveexperience for them.After all, without Books there is no Living Library.

If you are organising an event for the first time you may also have some anxietiesabout how you will staff the event.Although an organising team can be fairly smallin number, your event may require a larger staff team, especially if you have a largenumber of Books (say, over fifteen).You will need to ensure that both Books andvolunteer staff are trained so that they can confidently deliver the event that youhave been planning all this time.

Recruiting Books

By now, you should have a clear understanding of the methodology behind theLiving Library and you have a list of all the Book titles that you would like toinclude.With this knowledge and preparation, finding Books should be much easier.The list of potential Books means that you are already aware of the type ofexperiences that Books will need. In fact, you may already have in mind severalpeople who may be suitable. Even so, at this point we advise you to find somepartner organisations or contacts / individuals who can help you to recruit themost suitable Living Books.

It can be really useful to utilise the experience of professionals who work with thekind of people you are looking for. For example, if you want to challenge prejudicetowards young people you might contact a youth worker who can help youpromote the Living Library to young people and who is likely to be in touch withpeople who have the right skills and experience to become a Book.

Therefore, using the list of potential Books that you have already created, start tothink about which agencies, organisations, individuals, or NGOs might be able tohelp you find these people – indeed, in many instances staff members or volunteers

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from these organisations will be ready and keen to take part in your event asBooks. Once again, you have a responsibility to communicate the methodology ofthe Living Library to these partners in order for them to communicate it effectivelyand accurately to their clients.

Once you have identified potential Books it is essential that they complete aregistration form and that one of your team meets with them to assess theirsuitability. If you are confident that they are suitable, you should invite them to atraining day prior to your event.

If, for any reason, you have doubts about the suitability of a Book you will need totalk to them to explain your decision.You may still wish to offer that person thechance to get involved in another way - either as a volunteer Staff member or as aReader. It may be that the individual in question was unsuitable at the time but maybe suitable in future, in which case you may want to retain their involvement in theproject.

Recruiting Staff

The first place to look for staff is within your own organisation or partnerorganisations.You may have potential candidates already in mind and may be in aposition to staff the event entirely from within your current workforce. However,this is not always possible and so you might have to look for volunteers. A goodplace to start is with your local volunteer coordinating body.They are likely to havea network of volunteers that you could potentially recruit and may also be in touchwith other agencies who regularly work with volunteers. They may also wish tobecome a supporting partner for your project.

It is also worth asking the agencies that you have identified to help you recruitBooks if they can supply some volunteer staff. This has many benefits: you knowthat they understand the purpose of the Living Library and why they are involved,and they have an established relationship with the Books they have helped you torecruit.The skills and knowledge they will bring may be useful at the event if a Bookrequires additional support.

Alternatively you may have to advertise for volunteers. This might be morechallenging and time-consuming and may incur some costs.

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No matter where you draw your team, it is you, the organiser, who is responsiblefor training and managing this team.You may wish to delegate the management ofthe Staff team to a team leader, but if so, you must continue to communicate withthis individual to ensure that the team is confident and prepared to deliver theevent.The overall responsibility for the Staff team lies with the main organizer.

Briefing Your Books and Staff

It is highly recommended that once you have recruited your Books and your Staffyou organise a briefing meeting for the entire Living Library team.While the Books,the Librarians, as well as the support staff have will received basic informationalready during the recruitment process, this meeting will help to clarify openquestions, address possible anxieties and put the Living Library in the context ofthe organisers.The meeting is primarily important for the Books, but Librarians andsupport staff should also be present, if possible.

The meeting should take place in a quiet place in order to facilitate discussion andconcentration – such as a large meeting room.The meeting should be scheduledfor the later afternoon or a weekend, so that most of those involved in the projecton a voluntary basis can attend.The meeting doesn’t have to last longer than twohours and should facilitate discussion by a circular room setup.

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In the box below, we are providing a sample agenda for a briefing meeting.

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Briefing Meeting

• Welcome participants• Introduction by the organisers, the librarians, and support staff and by the Books (name,

Book title, association, where applicable)• Review of the concept, aims and methodology of the Living Library

• Why is it being organised?• What are the specific objectives?• What does it look like in practice?• What are the expectations of the participants?• General questions

• The role of the Book• The role and responsibilities of Books• The Catalogue• Explaining the rules of the Library• Working hours• Role-related questions

• Clarification of infrastructure and running of the Living Library• Provision of all relevant background documents (rules for readers, tasks of the

Books, PR materials) to participants• Possibility for each Book to check and revise his/her page in the Catalogue• Agreement on working hours and the planned attendance of individual Books

• Refreshments, informal discussion between all participants


MATERIALS, PROMOTIONS,ANDEVALUATION

Materials

One of the many benefits of organising a Living Library is that it can be successfulwith only a small amount of event materials. At the same time, if you have thefinancial resources, you can create a highly stylised and branded event that will adda visual impact to the project.

Every Living Library requires some core resources that are the same in everysetting, and this is the material that we are going to focus on here. A list ofadditional material is provided at the end of this section.

Each event will require three areas: an Issue Desk, a Reading Space and a Bookshelf.

The Issue Desk

This is the point of contact with the public and is the central point of your LivingLibrary. It is from here that Books are issued to Readers.

The Reading Space

Put simply, this is where the conversations take place.

The Bookshelf

And put simply again, this is an area where Books can wait while they are not beingread, or where they can take a break.

Issue Desk Material

At the Issue Desk you will require a few tables for the material that allows you torecord the number of visitors and the number of loans, to hold the library cards,and to display material relating to the methodology of the Living Library. (Samplesof this material are provided in Section 4 of this guide).

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You also need to make it easy for Readers to see who is in your Living Library, inwhich case it is worth attempting to have some kind of Availability Board displayingall of the Book titles.You may wish to make this an interactive feature of your event,with laminated titles that can easily be moved from ‘Available’ to ‘On Loan’ or ‘InConversation’.

In addition, it is worth making a large sign that you can display outside the event toattract potential readers.You could use the Living Library logo for this, or designone yourself in the appropriate language. Either way branding is very important andyou should ensure that your event's visual identity is strong and attractive.

A suggested arrangement for your issue desk might include:

1. Availability Board

Here readers can see which books are available to loan and which books arein conversation. It is the responsibility of staff at the desk to keep this boardup to date.

2. Event-specific Information

Opening times and information about the Human Library concept isdisplayed here.

3. Branded Signage

This has proved effective in drawing people to our desk. Branding helps topromote the concept and may be useful if you are planning a programme ofevents.

4. Further Information Point

This is where readers can get more information about some of the issues yourLiving Library is addressing,or the organisations that are supporting your event.

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Reading Space

You must provide a space for conversations to take place and, depending upon theevent setting, this may very considerably.

At most events you will need to provide enough seating for the conversations totake place.Your chairs may be arranged in groups of two,with each chair facing eachother. Alternatively, you may have benches and tables where Books and Readersfind a space together.

If your event is at a festival (and provided that the weather is good) someconversations may take place away from the tent and Reader and Book may sit onthe grass, or under a tree - somewhere away from your main desk. However, it isadvisable that you make allowances for all conversations to take place under a tentin case there is poor weather, in which case you need to provide seating.

Bookshelf

At the Bookshelf you will require seating for Books and perhaps a small table forrefreshments, reading material, board games or any other material that can help theBooks relax and pass the time between two loans.

T-Shirts, Sashes and Bibs

Almost every Living Library in the world has invested in some form of clothing toidentify who Books are. A person wearing a T-Shirt with ‘BOOK’ on the back orfront not only adds to the intrigue that the event creates, but it empowers Booksand helps Staff to identify where Books are.

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Additional Materials

There are other materials which are optional but can add great value to your event.One such addition could be setting aside a space for evaluation.This can be usefulin making evaluation become a feature of the whole Living Library experience,rather than just a task that you ask Readers to complete after they have read theirBook.

Another thing to consider is showcasing some testimonies from previous events.These can be based upon feedback provided by Books and Readers and can beanonymous if necessary.This is a good way for Readers and potential new Booksto understand what the Living Library is attempting to achieve, and what they arelikely to experience. It also can inspire people to take part because they can seethat others have had a positive experience.

Finally, it is worth considering what additional promotional material you may have,or may want to have.This could include leaflets advertising your next event, leafletspromoting the concept, information about how to become a Book, contact detailsof Organisers, and information about the global Human Library / Living Libraryproject. In addition, you may wish to purchase additional banners which featureslogans such as “Don’t judge a Book by its cover”, “Borrow a Living Book”, or“People on Loan”.This is a good idea because it will give potential Readers an ideaof what the Living Library is from much further away. People may be intrigued by abanner saying “People on Loan” and may come close to enquire as to what ishappening.

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Promotion

Organisers should begin the task of promoting the Living Library as soon as theyhave committed to an event. In which case you need to know exactly how, where,and to whom you are going to promote and market your event. Promotion shouldbegin as soon as you have chosen your date, time and venue.

Many organisations have designated staff such as Communications Officers, MediaOfficers, Public Relations teams or people with similar roles. If this is the case,either for your organisation, the host venue or the festival you are part of, you needto make contact with this person or team as soon as possible. They will haveestablished contacts with local or national media, promotion strategies already inplace and knowledge of the principles of marketing.

As an organiser it is your job to communicate the details of the event effectively,so make sure that you provide clear information about your event and the widerLiving Library project. It may even be helpful to let them have a look through thistoolkit as it will help them understand the methodology of the Living Library, andhow it actually works.

If you do not have access to a person or team that specializes in promotion, youcan turn once again to your paragraph outlining what you are trying to do. Thisparagraph can now be recycled and adapted to promote the event to potentialBooks, Readers and Staff, or used as a press release, on posters, flyers, andinstructional material. Do not simply use the same paragraph word for word, butadapt it to your audience – for example, promoting the Living Library to potentialBooks will require a different approach from promoting the event to the public andthe language used will be slightly different.

The next step is to contact local newspapers, radio and TV broadcasters and letthem know about your event. Providing an opportunity for Books to beinterviewed has proven a good way to publicize events as it provides a very good‘human interest’ angle, and empowers the Books to feel that this really is theirevent, and that they are making a difference.

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When promoting your Living Library to the media is it crucial that you give a clearand consistent message about what the concept is and why it is important to yourcommunity. If you fail to do this, all your hard work could be undone by just a fewseconds on a Radio show or in one page of a newspaper. Remember, the LivingLibrary is organised to challenge prejudice and encourage greater understanding ofdifference and for no other reason.

You also need to promote your event to potential venues. Some venues might beattracted to the prospect of hosting an event if they know that it is going to receivemedia attention, or attract high visitor numbers.These are potential benefits to youas an organiser and may provide a useful means of negotiation, however you shouldnot compromise the Living Library in order to secure a venue.

Promoting the Living Library to potential partners is arguably the most importantelement to consider. Partners have the potential to help you secure a venue, recruitBooks and Staff, attract readers, provide funding, promote the event within theirnetworks, and help you to evaluate the event in the follow up.You may need towork on a presentation or short script that you can use to attract potentialpartners to your project, and be prepared to perform this many times over! Youwill meet lots of people and organisations along the way, and after a time thepresentation of the Living Library will become second nature.

However, take care not to lose sight of the methodology during this period.Partners may wish to see some benefits for their organisation and may wish tochange or adapt the Living Library in order to commit. If this is the case then theyare not a suitable partner.You should only work with partners who can see theLiving Library for what it is and fully support the methodology.

This may mean that some potential partners are left out initially until you can invitethem to the event so that they can see the benefits for themselves and may wishto support future events or projects as a result of their experience.

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For most organisations, the most efficient and cost-effective way for promotingtheir Living Library event will be through their own website and/or various socialmedia applications, such as Facebook or Twitter.These channels offer virtually freeand unlimited space for your event to be advertised and they also can serve asplatforms to engage with your potential audience before, during, and after theevent.These tools are increasingly taking the place of traditional media and theirpopularity among young people – one of the key audiences for the Living Libraryconcept – means that they should be used heavily for the promotion of your event.

Organisers should consider setting up so-called “micro sites” within theirorganisations’ websites, focusing specifically on the Living Library. In addition,organisers can also create a specific event in Facebook (as part of theirorganisation’s already existing profile there) and dedicated event-feeds on Twitterfor the Living Library in addition to their already existing presence on thoseplatforms.This will make it possible to reach those of your general audience whoare particularly interested in the Living Library.

Evaluation

The dimensions, intensity and methodology of any evaluation should be defined bythe organisers during the preparation process. In order to get sufficient materialfor an evaluation, it will be important to define the evaluation criteria andprocedures early on in the planning process.

Evaluation serves two main purposes in the context of the Living Library:

• The evaluation of the event in relation to the achievement of measurableobjectives defined at the beginning of the planning phase.

• The evaluation of the experience of organisers, Librarians, and Bookswith the purpose of reflecting on common experiences, and improvingthe planning and implementation process and, possibly, the methodologyitself for future events.

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Collecting quantitative data

How many readers, how many loans, how many reading hours? What were themost popular Books and which were less in demand?

Answers to these questions give you an important overall picture on the workingand success of the Living Library. Collecting these data is relatively simple and is animportant task for the Librarians. They should register every loan on a list,indicating the title of the Book, the time of the loan and the return, and whether itwas a first-time reader. Based on the data collected, simple statistics can beproduced almost immediately after the conclusion of your event.

How many people showed interest, but didn’t become readers?

This can be a complicated undertaking to record this data, but the Librarians couldapproximate it by keeping a simple ‘tick-list’.

Press coverage

Collecting newspaper articles, television and radio reports that cover or simplyreference your event.

Feedback via social media

Collecting “likes” on Facebook or followers on your event’s designated Twitter feedare new yet interesting and, above all, relevant sources of information regarding theimpact and popularity of your Living Library.

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Collecting qualitative data

Questionnaires

Considering the large number of people involved in a Living Library, questionnairesare an easily manageable and adequate means of collecting data. They should beprepared and produced before the event, and distributed to Books and Readersduring it to ensure a good return rate. Ideally, you should produce differentquestionnaires for each group and personal data should not be collected.

When it comes to Books, they are generally very happy and eager to share theirexperiences and reflect on them in writing.Their questionnaires should be handedout to them before the event and collected afterwards, by a given deadline. TheBooks’ responses can be collected and summarized for briefing purposes for futureBooks. Feedback from both Books and Readers should be carefully studied by theorganiser team and reflected upon for possible useful suggestions for futureimprovements or changes.

Sample questionnaires

In the final section of this publication, you will find two sample questionnaires: onefor Readers and another one for Books.They are suggestions and of course youshould feel free to modify them as you see fit in order to glean the most relevantinformation for your particular event. However, it is important that Readers’questionnaires are short and can be completed in a couple of minutes. Thequestionnaires should be handed out and collected by the Librarians.They also haveto inform the Readers that the questionnaires are for internal evaluation purposesonly and that the Readers are not required to share any personal data.

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Evaluation meetings

Evaluation meetings often take place during the event; many teams like to have ashort check-in at the end of the day. A more thorough evaluation, however,including the Books, Librarians, and volunteer staff should take place a few days ora couple of weeks after the event. It can be useful to invite other partner as well,such as the NGOs sourcing the Books and the hosts of the event.



Section 4:

Materials and Resources


VISIBILITY ITEMS

Poster of the Living Libraries Australia which is a partnership project betweenLismore City Council and Department of Immmigration and Citizenship.

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Announcement of the Living Library organised at the Swiss Cottage Library inLondon, UK.

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Poster announcing the Living Library organised in Ljubljana, Slovenia in 2007.

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Banners used at the Living Libraries organised by the European Youth CentreBudapest in the Sziget Festival and other events in Hungary.

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Design of Book, Crew and Reader T-shirts used by the European Youth CentreBudapest during their Living Libraries organised in Sziget Festivals and otherevents in Hungary.

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250 x 88 m

250 x

250 x 92

250 x 226 m

EUROPEAN Y1 szín fehérszita


INFRASTRUCTURE

Rules of the Living Library from a brochure from the UK.

Rules of the Living Library from the English-Hungarian LL brochure of theEuropean Youth Centre Budapest.

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Élő Könyvtár! – Nézz a borító mögé!

Idén újra! Ha már kipróbáltad, és tetszett; ha tavaly már láttál minket, de nem volt időd benézni, vagy ha most hallasz rólunk először: Elgondolkodtál már azon, hogy milyen előítéleteid vannak másokkal szemben? Vagy azon, hogy mások mit tartanak rólad? Benned is sok sztereotípia él például a romákról, zsidókról, rendőrökről, jegyellenőrökről, papokról, pszichológusokról, feministákról és melegekről, ex-bűnözőkről és eurokratákról, fogyatékkal élőkről vagy a szőke nőkről? Még sohasem volt alkalmad rá, hogy elbeszélgess velük és megtudd milyen az életük?

Ha kész vagy szembenézni saját előítéleteiddel, és szeretnél személyesen találkozni ‘sztereotípiáddal’, akkor iratkozz be az Élő Könyvtárba, ahol a könyvek beszélni tudnak!

Hogy működik az Élő Könyvtár? � Az Élő Könyvtár a Civil Szigeten található, az Európai Ifjúsági Központ sátra mellett. � Amikor először keresed fel a Könyvtárat, beiratkozol, és kapsz egy „Élő Könyvtár

olvasójegyet”. A beiratkozással elfogadod a kölcsönzésre vonatkozó szabályokat. � A könyvtári katalógusból kiválaszthatod, melyik könyvet szeretnéd elolvasni. � Az Élő Könyvtár szótárt is tud biztosítani, ha olyan könyvet választottál, amelynek nyelvét nem

beszéled. � A kiválasztott könyvet a Sziget területén belül bárhol olvashatod, egy óra leteltével pedig vissza

kell vinned az Élő Könyvtárba. � Az Élő Könyvtár ingyen áll a beiratkozott olvasók rendelkezésére.

Milyen szabályok vonatkoznak az Élő Könytár olvasóira? � Csak azok a beiratkozott olvasók kölcsönözhetnek könyvet, akik elfogadják a Könyvtár

szabályait. � Egyszerre csak egy könyv kölcsönözhető. � A könyv egy órára kölcsönözhető, utána vissza kell vinni az Élő Könyvtárba. Az olvasó

maximum egy órával hosszabbíthatja meg a kölcsönzési időt a könyvtárosnál. � Az olvasónak a könyvet ugyanolyan fizikai és lelki állapotban kell visszaszolgáltatnia, ahogy

azt kikölcsönözte. Tilos a könyvet megrongálni, a lapokat kitépni vagy elszakítani, étellel vagy itallal leönteni és méltóságában bármilyen módon megsérteni. Az olvasó felel a könyv állapotának megőrzéséért.

� Az olvasó elfogadja, hogy a könyv bármikor megszakíthatja a beszélgetést, ha úgy érzi, hogy az olvasó nem megfelelő módon bánik vele vagy méltóságát megsérti.

Törzsolvasóknak nyeremény!

A törzsolvasók egy „Élő Könytár – Olvasó” pólót kapnak ajándékba, miután a harmadik elolvasott könyvet visszahozzák! Nyitvatartás: Az Élő Könyvtár naponta 12 és 20 óra között tart nyitva, a könyveket legkésőbb 19 óráig lehet kikölcsönözni!

Az Élő Könyvtárat a Civil Szigeten a Budapesti Európai Ifjúsági Központ szervezi a Sziget Iroda támogatásával.

Living Library - Don’t judge a book by its cover!

Here we are again! If you already visited it and liked it; if you saw us last year but didn’t have the

time to pop in, or if this is the first time you hear about us:

Have you ever thought about your own prejudices and stereotypes about other people? Or the impression that other people might have about you? You have a lot of stereotypes for example about Roma people or Jews, policemen or ticket controllers, priests or psychologists, feminists or homosexuals, ex-criminals or Eurocrats, disabled or about blond women? But you have never had the chance to speak to one of them to find out what his or her life is like?

If you are ready to face your own prejudices and stereotypical judgements and meet “your stereotype” personally, you should become a reader of the Living Library where books can speak!

How does the Living Library work? � The Living Library is placed in the Civil Sziget, next to the tent of the European Youth

Centre. � When you come for the first time, you will have to register as a reader to receive your Living

Library Pass. By becoming a reader you accept the policy of the Living Library. � From the library catalogue you can choose a book you would like to read. � If your book is in a language you do not understand, the Living Library can also provide you

with a dictionary. � You can spend an hour with the book of your choice anywhere on the Sziget. Then you must

bring the book back to the Living Library. � The services of the Living Library are free of charge for registered readers.

What are the rules for readers of the Living Library?

� Only registered readers who have accepted the Library rules can borrow a book. � Only one book can be borrowed at a time. � A book can be borrowed for one hour, and then it must be returned to the Living Library.

Readers can extend reading time for a maximum of one extra hour with the librarian. � The reader must return the book in the same mental and physical condition as borrowed. It is

forbidden to cause damage to the book, tear out or bend pages, get food or drink spilled over the book or hurt her or his dignity in any other way. The reader is responsible for preserving the condition of the book.

� The reader accepts the fact that the book can quit the conversation if she or he feels that the reader treats her or him in an inappropriate manner or hurts her or his dignity.

Award for regular readers!

Regular readers will receive the attractive “Living Library Reader’s T-Shirt” after returning the third book to the Library!

Opening hours: The Living Library is open every day from 12h to 20h, last opportunity to borrow a book is 19h! The Living Library on the Civil Sziget is organised by the EYCB with the kind support

of the Sziget Office.


English Reader’s Pass of a library held in the UK.

Bilingual (English-Hungarian)Reader’s Pass of the libraries organised by theEuropean Youth Centre Budapest.

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Name

City

Age Country

Library Card LIVINGlibraryTakeout a prejudice

DateBook title

DateBook title

DateBook title

DateBook title


English-Hungarian bilingual list of prejudices: it is to be used in the catalogue tohelp possible readers meeting their own ones.The list can be a starting point forcomposing Living Libray catalogues.

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4-lingual (ENG-HUN-FRE-GER)sample page from the Living Library catalogue ofthe European Youth Centre Budapest, lists the prejudices against the alcoholicpeople in the society.

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•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

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•

•

•

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Sample registration sheet (originally an MS Excel table) used by the librarianduring Living Libraries organised by the European Youth Centre Budapest.

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number title reader time of borrowing time of return

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

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15

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17

18

19


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SAMPLE EVALUATION FORM FOR READERS OF THE LIVING LIBRARY

Dear Reader, Thanks for taking some time to fill in this short questionnaire, to share your experience in readingone or more of the Living Books. Your comments will contribute to further developing themethodology of the Living Library. All answers will be treated confidentially and anonymously.

Your age:

Your gender: male female

Your nationality/ies: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Where did you hear about the Living Library?TV radio newspaper passing by our tent leaflets on the Sziget

from previous readers other source: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Have you been a reader in a Living Library before?

No, first time Yes, please specify: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Which Book did you borrow? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

How much did you like the idea of the Living Library?

1 2 3 4 5 (1-not at all, 5-impressed)

How did you like the selection of the Books and stereotypes presented in the catalogue?

1 2 3 4 5 (1-not at all, 5-impressed)

Comments:

How would you evaluate the service of the librarians?

1 2 3 4 5 (1-not helpful at all, 5-very helpful)

If you used a Dictionary, how satisfied were you with it ?

1 2 3 4 5 (1-not at all, 5-very satisfied)

What was the most important experience for you while you were reading the Book/s?

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Have you learned anything new in reading a Book or several Books from the Living Library?

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Would you recommend others to be a reader at the Living Library?

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Would you like to recommend any new Books to be presented in our catalogue?

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Thanks for your comments and time!


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SAMPLES OF QUESTIONS OF AN EVALUATION FORM FOR THE BOOKS OF THE LIVING LIBRARY

Name: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Your title as a Book: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Age:

Gender: male female

Nationality/ies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Are you member of an NGO? If yes, which one? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

How many readers did you have during the Living Library?1-5 5-10 more than 10

How was your experience as a book?1 2 3 4 5 (1-very bad, 5-very good)

What was your impression about your readers?1 2 3 4 5 (1-not motivated to learn, 5-interested, very sincere attitude)

How useful was the description of your role as a Book , which you were provided with before the Sziget?

1 2 3 4 5 (1-inappropriate, insufficient, 5-very clear, well described)

How do you evaluate the support of the Library Staff (librarian and organisers)?1 2 3 4 5 (1-not helpful at all, 5-very helpful)

If you used a dictionary, please assess your communication with it1 2 3 4 5 (1-not helpful, poor, 5-accurate, very good)

How would you rate the duration and appropriateness of your working hours?1 2 3 4 5 (1-inappropriate, too long, 5-very appropriate)

How did you feel your readers benefited from reading you?

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .How did you benefit from being read?

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .What were the most frequently asked questions?

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .What was the most challenging part of being a Book?

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .For the next Living Library, what advice would you give?

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

To future Books: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

To organisers: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

To librarians: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

To future readers: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

For the presentation of the catalogue: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Would you be ready to be a Book again? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Other comments? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .


TEXTS

German flyer of the Living Library held in Stuttgart, Germany in 2008 and organisedby the Bundesarbeitsgemeinschaft Evangelische Jugendsozialarbeit e.V. (BAG EJSA).

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Woher stammt die Lebendige Bibliothek?

Die erste Lebendige Bibliothek wurde im Jahr 2000 von einer Jugendinitiative auf dem Roskilde Musikfestival in Dänemark organisiert.

Seitdem haben zahlreiche Organisationen die Möglichkeiten und Perspektiven des Konzeptes der Lebendigen Bibliothek erkannt und adaptiert.

Die Lebendige Bibliothek bietet sich als innovatives Konzept auch für Ihren Unterricht, eine Projektwoche oder ein Schul-fest an.

Der Europarat hat ein Handbuch zur Methode herausgege-ben. Eine deutsche Übersetzung ist erhältlich.

Kontaktdaten für die Lebendige Bibliothek: Katrin Oeser: [email protected] Schachner: [email protected]

Lebendige BibliothekKooperation von Schule und Jugendsozialarbeit

Die Bundesarbeitsgemeinschaft Evangelische Jugend-sozialarbeit e.V. (BAG EJSA) ist der bundesweite Zu-sammenschluss evangelischer Jugendsozialarbeit in Dia-konie und evangelischer Jugendarbeit. Die BAG EJSA setzt sich für junge Menschen ein, die sozial benachteiligt werden oder von sozialer Benachteiligung bedroht sind.

Die BAG EJSA erreicht mit ihren Angeboten in der Jugend-berufshilfe ca. 35.000 und ihren Jugendmigrationsdiensten rund 25.000 Jugendliche. Die BAG EJSA fördert Netzwerke zur Zusammenarbeit von Schule und Jugendsozialarbeit. Hierzu bietet die trägerübergreifende Wanderausstellung „anders?-cool!“ (www.anders-cool.de) ein Instrument der Netzwerk- und Öffentlichkeitsarbeit, das von Schulen, Jugendmigrationsdiensten und anderen sozialen Einrich-tungen kostenfrei entliehen werden kann.

Suchen Sie eine Idee für Ihren Unterricht, eine Projektwoche oder ein Schulfest? Möchten Sie in ihrem Unterricht das Thema Diskriminierung oder Interkulturalität behandeln?

Dann besuchen Sie unsere Lebendige Biblio-thek und lernen Sie das Konzept kennen.

Wo und Wann? Didacta, BAG EJSA, Stuttgart 2008Messehalle 3 Stand Nr. 3 C81 Donnerstag, 21.02.08 15-18hFreitag, 22.02.08 10-18h Samstag, 23.02.08 10-18h

Veranstalterin:BAG Ev. Jugendsozialarbeit (BAG EJSA)Wagenburgstr.26-28, 70184 StuttgartTel: 0711- 16489-0, [email protected]@jmd-portal.de www.jugendmigrationsdienste.de

Die BAG EJSA

LeserInnen besuchen eine Bibliothek, leihen Bücher Ihrer Wahl aus und bringen sie nach einer bestimmten Frist zu-rück. In einer Bibliothek ist dies ein vollkommen normaler Vorgang.

Doch in der Lebendigen Bibliothek gibt es einen wesent-lichen Unterschied: Die Bücher in der Lebendigen Bibliothek sind Menschen. „Bücher“ und „LeserInnen“ treten in einen persönlichen Dialog.

Die Lebendige Bibliothek bietet die Möglichkeit, mit diesen Menschen ein persönliches Gespräch zu führen.

Die Lebenden Bücher gehören Gruppen unserer Gesellschaft an, die mit Vorurteilen und Stereotypen konfrontiert werden und häufig Opfer von Diskriminierung sind. Sie schauspielern nicht, sondern vertreten ihre eigene Biographie.

Den „LeserInnen“ der Lebendigen Bibliothek wird die Mög-lichkeit gegeben, sich auf einen Dialog jenseits von Vorurtei-len einzulassen.

Wir bieten Ihnen die Möglichkeit, das Konzept in der Praxis kennen zu lernen.

Lebendige Bibliotheken wurden bereits in 12 europäischen Ländern erfolgreich auf Musikfestivals, Buchmessen, Jugend-kongressen, Straßenfesten, in Bibliotheken und an Schulen durchgeführt.

An unserem Stand freut sich eine Auswahl an Lebenden Bü-chern auf ein Gespräch mit Ihnen. Die „Lesezeit“ beträgt maximal 30 Minuten.

Ihnen steht ein „Katalog“ zur Verfügung, in welchem Sie sich vorab über die Lebenden Bücher informieren können.

Am Stand der Bundesarbeitsgemeinschaft Evangelische Ju-gendsozialarbeit (BAG EJSA) stehen wir Ihnen für alle Fragen zum Konzept zur Verfügung.

Treffen Sie Ihr Vorurteil!

• Jugendlicher Flüchtling

• Muslima

• HIV-positives Buch

• Hartz IV-Empfängerin

• Russlanddeutsche Jugendliche

• Ehemaliger jugendlicher Straftäter

Was heißt Lebendige Bibliothek? Was erwartet Sie beim Besuch der Lebendigen Bibliothek?

Diese Lebenden Bücher können Sie auf der didacta „ausleihen“:


English-Hungarian bilingual leaflet used in the Living Library held at the SzigetFestival in Budapest in 2006 and organised by the European Youth Centre Budapest.

81

Az Európa Tanács egy kormányközi politikai szervezet, amelyet 1949-ben alapítottak. Célja,

hogy az európai kontinensen olyan értékeket óvjon, mint az emberi jogok, a kultúrális sokszín ség, a demokrácia és a jogállamiság. Ma az Európa Tanácsnak 46 tagállama van, s ez

több mint 800 millió európait jelent. Magyarország 1990-ben, a Közép és Kelet-Európai régióból els ként csatlakozott az Európa Tanácshoz.

A Budapesti Európai Ifjúsági Központ 1995-ben kezdte meg tevékenységét és nemrég

ünnepelte alapításának 10. évfordulóját. Nemcsak Európa egész területér l, hanem azon túlról is fogad résztvev ket. Találkozóhely, képzési- és konferenciaközpont, valamint a nem-formális

és az emberi jogi oktatás szakmai központja. Ideális környezetet biztosít a nemzetközi együttm ködéshez, a közös tanuláshoz, a fiatalok részvételéhez, valamint az Európa-szerte

helyi, nemzeti és európai ifjúsági munkában tevékenyked ifjúsági munkások képzéséhez. A Központ a civil szervezetekkel, politikusokkal, közalkalmazottakkal, kutatókkal, valamint az ifjúsági munkában és képzésben résztvev szakemberekkel együttm ködve az ifjúságpolitika

fejlesztéséhez is kiváló színtér. A Budapesti Európai Ifjúsági Központ képzési filozófiája azon az elven alapul, hogy a

fiatalokat aktívan be kell vonni minden ket érint kérdés megoldásába, valamint, hogy az Európa népei közt létrejöv interperszonális kapcsolatok garantálják egy békés és kulturálisan

sokszín Európa létrejöttét.

Cím: Európa Tanács, Budapesti Európai Ifjúsági Központ, H- 1024 Budapest, Zivatar utca 1-3, Tel + 36 1 212 4078, e-mail:[email protected]

Internet: www.eycb.coe.int

, www.hre.coe.int, www.coe.int

The Council of Europe is an intergovernmental political organisation, founded in 1949. It works for the safeguarding of human rights and cultural diversity, democracy and the rule of

law on the European continent. Today, the Council of Europe has 46 member states, representing over 800 million Europeans. Hungary joined the Council of Europe as the first

country of Central and Eastern Europe in the year 1990.

The European Youth Centre Budapest started its work in Hungary in 1995 and has recently celebrated its 10th anniversary. It welcomes participants from all over Europe and beyond. It is

a meeting place, training and conference centre and a knowledge centre on non-formal and human rights education. It provides an ideal environment for international co-operation, shared

learning, youth participation and youth workers’ training for young people active in local, national and European youth work coming from all over Europe. It is also a place for the

development of youth policies in co-operation with associations, politicians, civil servants, researchers and professionals in youth work and training.

The educational philosophy of the European Youth Centre Budapest is based on the principle that young people should be actively involved in all matters concerning them and that

interpersonal relations between its peoples are the guarantee to create a peaceful and culturally diverse Europe.

Contact: Council of Europe, European Youth Centre Budapest,

H- 1024 Budapest, Zivatar utca 1-3, Tel + 36 1 212 4078, e-mail: [email protected]

Internet: www.eycb.coe.int, www.hre.coe.int, www.coe.int

SZIGET FESZTIVÁL 2006 SZIGET FESTIVAL 2006

CIVIL SZIGET

Él Könyvtár! – Nézz a borító mögé!

Idén újra! Ha már kipróbáltad, és tetszett; ha tavaly már láttál minket, de nem volt id d benézni, vagy ha most hallasz rólunk el ször: Elgondolkodtál már azon, hogy milyen el ítéleteid vannak másokkal szemben? Vagy azon, hogy mások mit tartanak rólad? Benned is sok sztereotípia él például a romákról, zsidókról, rend rökr l, jegyellen rökr l, papokról, pszichológusokról, feministákról és melegekr l, ex-b nöz kr l és eurokratákról, fogyatékkal él kr l vagy a sz ke n kr l? Még sohasem volt alkalmad rá, hogy elbeszélgess velük és megtudd milyen az életük? Ha kész vagy szembenézni saját el ítéleteiddel, és szeretnél személyesen találkozni ‘sztereotípiáddal’, akkor iratkozz be az Él Könyvtárba, ahol a könyvek beszélni tudnak!

Hogy m ködik az Él Könyvtár? Az Él Könyvtár a Civil Szigeten található, az Európai Ifjúsági Központ sátra mellett. Amikor el ször keresed fel a Könyvtárat, beiratkozol, és kapsz egy „Él Könyvtár olvasójegyet”. A beiratkozással elfogadod a kölcsönzésre vonatkozó szabályokat. A könyvtári katalógusból kiválaszthatod, melyik könyvet szeretnéd elolvasni. Az Él Könyvtár szótárt is tud biztosítani, ha olyan könyvet választottál, amelynek nyelvét nem beszéled. A kiválasztott könyvet a Sziget területén belül bárhol olvashatod, egy óra leteltével pedig vissza kell vinned az Él Könyvtárba. Az Él Könyvtár ingyen áll a beiratkozott olvasók rendelkezésére.

Milyen szabályok vonatkoznak az Él Könytár olvasóira? Csak azok a beiratkozott olvasók kölcsönözhetnek könyvet, akik elfogadják a Könyvtár szabályait. Egyszerre csak egy könyv kölcsönözhet . A könyv egy órára kölcsönözhet , utána vissza kell vinni az Él Könyvtárba. Az olvasó maximum egy órával hosszabbíthatja meg a kölcsönzési id t a könyvtárosnál. Az olvasónak a könyvet ugyanolyan fizikai és lelki állapotban kell visszaszolgáltatnia, ahogy azt kikölcsönözte. Tilos a könyvet megrongálni, a lapokat kitépni vagy elszakítani, étellel vagy itallal leönteni és méltóságában bármilyen módon megsérteni. Az olvasó felel a könyv állapotának meg rzéséért. Az olvasó elfogadja, hogy a könyv bármikor megszakíthatja a beszélgetést, ha úgy érzi, hogy az olvasó nem megfelel módon bánik vele vagy méltóságát megsérti.

Törzsolvasóknak nyeremény! A törzsolvasók egy „Él Könytár – Olvasó” pólót kapnak ajándékba, miután a harmadik elolvasott könyvet visszahozzák! Nyitvatartás: Az Él Könyvtár naponta 12 és 20 óra között tart nyitva, a könyveket legkés bb 19 óráig lehet kikölcsönözni!

Az Él Könyvtárat a Civil Szigeten a Budapesti Európai Ifjúsági Központ szervezi a Sziget Iroda támogatásával.

Living Library - Don’t judge a book by its cover!

Here we are again! If you already visited it and liked it; if you saw us last year but didn’t have the

time to pop in, or if this is the first time you hear about us: Have you ever thought about your own prejudices and stereotypes about other people? Or the impression that other people might have about you? You have a lot of stereotypes for example about Roma people or Jews, policemen or ticket controllers, priests or psychologists, feminists or homosexuals, ex-criminals or Eurocrats, disabled or about blond women? But you have never had the chance to speak to one of them to find out what his or her life is like? If you are ready to face your own prejudices and stereotypical judgements and meet “your stereotype” personally, you should become a reader of the Living Library where books can speak!

How does the Living Library work? The Living Library is placed in the Civil Sziget, next to the tent of the European Youth Centre. When you come for the first time, you will have to register as a reader to receive your Living Library Pass. By becoming a reader you accept the policy of the Living Library. From the library catalogue you can choose a book you would like to read. If your book is in a language you do not understand, the Living Library can also provide you with a dictionary. You can spend an hour with the book of your choice anywhere on the Sziget. Then you must bring the book back to the Living Library. The services of the Living Library are free of charge for registered readers.

What are the rules for readers of the Living Library?

Only registered readers who have accepted the Library rules can borrow a book. Only one book can be borrowed at a time. A book can be borrowed for one hour, and then it must be returned to the Living Library. Readers can extend reading time for a maximum of one extra hour with the librarian. The reader must return the book in the same mental and physical condition as borrowed. It is forbidden to cause damage to the book, tear out or bend pages, get food or drink spilled over the book or hurt her or his dignity in any other way. The reader is responsible for preserving the condition of the book. The reader accepts the fact that the book can quit the conversation if she or he feels that the reader treats her or him in an inappropriate manner or hurts her or his dignity.

Award for regular readers! Regular readers will receive the attractive “Living Library Reader’s T-Shirt” after returning the third book to the Library! Opening hours: The Living Library is open every day from 12h to 20h, last opportunity to borrow a book is 19h! The Living Library on the Civil Sziget is organised by the EYCB with the kind support

of the Sziget Office.


4-lingual flyer of the library organised in Wien,Austria in 2007.

82


Italian Living Library flyer of the library organised by the Centro Stranieri delComune di Modena in Modena,Italy in 2007.

83

Prendete in prestito un pregiudizio e guardatelo in faccia

Modena, piazza Grande, 29 settembre 2007dalle ore 16.30 alle ore 19.30

Inizi

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Le C

ittà V

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Comune di Modena Centro stranieri

Sportello Anti-discriminazioneConsulta delle Politiche Solidali

I musulmani obbligano le loro mogli

a portare il velo

Le suore non sanno com’è la vita

Gli stranieri non si vogliono integrare

e ci vogliono imporre le loro tradizioni

Le donne dell’est vengono per sposarsi

con gli italiani

I meridionali sono pigri e vorrebbero

farsi assistere dallo Stato

Nei ristoranti cinesi cucinano i gatti

e te li fanno mangiare con le mandorle…

I matrimoni misti non funzionano

:: la biblioteca vivente è uno strumento ideato per rompere stereotipi e diffi denze, promuovendo la conoscenza e il dialogo.

funziona:funziona: la biblioteca vivente funziona come tutte le altre. Vieni e sfoglia il catalogo, se un titolo richiama la tua attenzione, prendi il libro in prestito e ascoltalo.

LibriLibri viventi:viventi: i libri della nostra biblioteca sono persone in carne e ossa, disposte a raccontarti la propria storia e a rispondere alle tue domande e alle tue curiosità.

RegolRegole:e: per consultare i nostri libri ci sono cinque piccole regole:

1) devi registrarti al banco prestiti 2) puoi prendere in prestito un libro alla volta,

per un massimo di 30 minuti 3) devi restituire il libro nelle stesse condizioni

in cui ti è stato consegnato 4) è vietato danneggiare il libro, segnare o

strappare le pagine, sottolineare frasi, macchiare il libro con cibo o bevande, urtare la sensibilità o la dignità del libro

5) il libro può di sua iniziativa interrompere la consultazione in qualunque momento.

L’idea originale della “Biblioteca Umana” nacque nel 2000 presso la organizzazione danese “Stop alla Violenza”. La metodologia venne in seguito sviluppata dal Centro Europeo della Gioventù di Budapest e la Biblioteca vivente è divenuta parte del programma per l’educazione ai diritti umani del Consiglio d’Europa. Per maggiori informazioni, consultare il sito www.coe.int/hre e il manuale “Don’t judge a book by its cover - The Living Library Organiser’s Guide”, ISBN92-871-5766-9.

INFO: [email protected] - tel. 059 2033414/2033395


84

Cover photo; page 11, left side; pages 44-45; page 52,left sideSeveral readers reading a Book at Sziget Festival,Budapest, Hungary© Council of Europe, European Youth CentreBudapest, 2011

Page 4, left sideLibrarians at Sziget Festival Budapest, Hungary© Council of Europe, European Youth CentreBudapest, 2008

Page 4, right sideBooks and readers at European Capital of Culture,Pécs, Hungary© Council of Europe, European Youth CentreBudapest, 2010

Page 5, left sideLiving Library T-shirt of the Palais de l’Europe WorldRefugee Day, Strasbourg, France© Council of Europe, 2011

Page 5, right sideBooks and readers in dialogue, Darmstadt, Germany© Netzwerk ROPE e.V., 2011

Page 6, left side; page 48, left side, page 49, left sideReading a Book at European Capital of Culture, Pécs,Hungary© Council of Europe, European Youth CentreBudapest, 2010

Page 6, right sideInformation table and faces of interest, Tbilisi,Georgia© Youth Association DRONI, 2011

Page 6, below the textBook wearing the Living Library T-shirt at SzigetFestival, Budapest, Hungary© Council of Europe, European Youth CentreBudapest, 2011

Page 7, left side; page 38, left sideHuman Library - Norfolk© Council of Europe, European Youth CentreBudapest, 2011

Page 7, right sideLibrarians at Sziget Festival, Budapest, HungaryCourtesy: Péter Wootsch, 2008

Pages 8-9Who is the book? Sziget Festival, Budapest, Hungary© Council of Europe, European Youth CentreBudapest, 2004

Page 10, left sideRabbi Book at Sziget Festival, Budapest, Hungary© Council of Europe, European Youth CentreBudapest, 2006

Page 10, right sideConversation between a Book and children,Darmstadt, Germany© Netzwerk ROPE e.V., 2011

Page 11, right sideConversation with Policeman Book at Sziget Festival,Budapest, Hungary© Council of Europe, European Youth CentreBudapest, 2011

Page 12, left sideEntrance to the Living Library at Roskilde Festival,Denmark© Mathies Erlandsen, Stop the Violence Denmark, 2000

Page 12, right sideConversation of Books and readers at Sziget Festival,Budapest, HungaryCourtesy: Péter Wootsch, 2008

Page 13, left sideConversation of a Book and a reader at the Palais del’Europe World Refugee Day, Strasbourg, France© Council of Europe, 2011

Page 13, right sideGay Book at Sziget Festival, Budapest, Hungary© Council of Europe, European Youth CentreBudapest, 2006

Page 14, left sideRoma Book at Sziget Festival, Budapest, Hungary© Council of Europe, European Youth CentreBudapest, 2011

Page 14, right sidePromotional banner “Pick a catholic”, HumanLibrary Wroc³aw, Poland© Banner: Haveasign Studio, photo: Dorota Kuentzel,Incontro, 2010

Page 15, left sideAdvertisement of Living Library at Sziget Festival,Budapest, Hungary© Council of Europe, European Youth CentreBudapest, 2011

Page 15, right sideAfrican Black Person Book at Sziget Festival,Budapest, Hungary© Council of Europe, European Youth CentreBudapest, 2011

Page 16, left sideSeveral readers reading a Book at Sziget Festival,Budapest, Hungary© Council of Europe, European Youth CentreBudapest, 2006

Page 16, right side; page 28, left sideBooks among themselves at Sziget Festival,Budapest, Hungary© Council of Europe, European Youth CentreBudapest, 2011

Page 17, left sideAfrican Black Person Book and a reader at SzigetFestival, Budapest, Hungary© Council of Europe, European Youth CentreBudapest, 2011

PHOTO INDEX AND CREDITS


Page 17, right sideHIV travesty and an artist at Secondary School Kavcihory, Prague, Czech Republic© OPIM - Organisation Supporting the Integration ofMinorities, 2010

Pages 18-19Homeless Book and his reader at Sziget Festival,Budapest, Hungary© Council of Europe, European Youth CentreBudapest, 2011

Page 20, left sideThe whole team of Living Library, Tbilisi, Georgia© Youth Association DRONI, 2011

Page 20, right sideConsulting the catalogue at Sziget Festival, Budapest,Hungary© Council of Europe, European Youth CentreBudapest, 2009

Page 21, left sideLibrarians and readers at European Capital ofCulture, Pécs, Hungary© Council of Europe, European Youth CentreBudapest, 2010

Page 21, right side; page 41, left sideConsulting the catalogue at Sziget Festival, Budapest,Hungary© Council of Europe, European Youth CentreBudapest, 2006

Page 22, left sideLibrarian at the librarians’ desk with guests,Darmstadt, Germany© Netzwerk ROPE e.V., 2011

Page 22, right side; page 43, left sideConsulting the catalogue at Sziget Festival, Budapest,Hungary© Council of Europe, European Youth CentreBudapest, 2011

Page 23, left sideBooks at the Palais de l’Europe World Refugee Day,Strasbourg, France© Council of Europe, 2011

Page 23, right sideEx-bank robber Book and readers at Sziget Festival,Budapest, Hungary© Council of Europe, European Youth CentreBudapest, 2011

Page 24, left side; page 42, right sideThe Living Library tent at Sziget Festival, Budapest,Hungary© Council of Europe, European Youth CentreBudapest, 2011

Page 24, right sideFirst readers, Human Library Wroc³aw, Poland© Poster: Haveasign Studio, photo: Dorota Kuentzel,Incontro, 2011

Page 25, left side; page 41, right sideThe catalogue, Sziget Festival, Budapest, Hungary© Council of Europe, European Youth CentreBudapest, 2011

Page 25, right sideThe Living Library banner, Sziget Festival, Budapest,Hungary© Council of Europe, European Youth CentreBudapest, 2011

Page 26, left sideThe Europe Quiz, Sziget Festival, Budapest, Hungary© Council of Europe, European Youth CentreBudapest, 2011

Page 26, right sideLiving Library tent in Ljubljana, Slovenia© Drustvo Informacijski Center Legebitra, 2008

Page 27, left sideThe Europe Quiz award ceremony, Sziget Festival,Budapest, Hungary© Council of Europe, European Youth CentreBudapest, 2006

Page 27, right sideFilling out the Europe Quiz, Sziget Festival,Budapest, Hungary© Council of Europe, European Youth CentreBudapest, 2009

Page 28, right sideCouncil of Europe balloons at Sziget Festival,Budapest, Hungary© Council of Europe, European Youth CentreBudapest, 2011

Page 29, left sideReadings, Human Library Wroc³aw, Poland© Dorota Kuentzel, Incontro, 2009

Page 29, right sideLiving Library in the libraryCourtesy: Szabó Ervin Library, Budapest, Hungary, 2004

Page 30, left sideThe Living Library tent at European Capital ofCulture, Pécs, Hungary© Council of Europe, European Youth CentreBudapest, 2010

Page 30, right sideLiving Library in the basic school Mikulova, Prague,Czech Republic© OPIM - Organisation Supporting the Integration ofMinorities, 2008

Page 31, left sideChildren reading the Nun Book at Secondary schoolPodskalska 3, Prague, Czech Republic© OPIM - Organisation Supporting the Integration ofMinorities, 2008

Page 31, right sideAll Books in the Living Library at the AlvæmUngdomskole, Nesodden, NorwayCourtesy of Norwegian People’s Aid/NorskFolkehjelpp, 2003

Page 32, left sideChildren with reader’s pass in the basic schoolMikulova, Prague, Czech Republic© OPIM - Organisation Supporting the Integration ofMinorities, 2008

85


Page 32, right sideChildren reading a Book in the basic schoolMikulova, Prague, Czech Republic© OPIM - Organisation Supporting the Integration ofMinorities, 2009

Page 33, left sideLast meeting before start, Tbilisi, Georgia© Youth Association DRONI, 2011

Page 33, right sideRoma and Ex-bank robber Book at Sziget Festival,Budapest, Hungary© Council of Europe, European Youth CentreBudapest, 2011

Page 34, left sideLibrarian at Sziget Festival, Budapest, Hungary© Council of Europe, European Youth CentreBudapest, 2011

Page 34, right sideDisabled Book at Sziget Festival, Budapest, Hungary© Council of Europe, European Youth CentreBudapest, 2011

Page 35, left sideFeminist and African Black Person Books at SzigetFestival, Budapest, Hungary© Council of Europe, European Youth CentreBudapest, 2011

Page 35, right sideSocial Worker Book, Tbilisi, Georgia© Youth Association DRONI, 2011

Page 36, left sideLibrarian and reader in the Palais de l’Europe WorldRefugee Day, Strasbourg, France© Council of Europe, 2011

Page 36, right sideLibrarian and readers at Sziget Festival, Budapest,HungaryCourtesy: Péter Wootsch, 2008

Page 37, left sideLiving Library staff member recruiting readers atSziget Festival, Budapest, Hungary© Council of Europe, European Youth CentreBudapest, 2011

Page 37, right sideStaff members preparing the Living Library tent atSziget Festival, Budapest, Hungary© Council of Europe, European Youth CentreBudapest, 2011

Page 38, right sideDesription of a Book in the Living Library catalogue.Ljubljana, Slovenia© Drustvo Informacijski Center Legebitra, 2008

Page 39, left sideThe Living Library catalogue at Sziget Festival,Budapest, Hungary© Council of Europe, European Youth CentreBudapest, 2011

Page 39, right side; page 56, left sideThe Living Library staff at Sziget Festival, Budapest,Hungary© Council of Europe, European Youth CentreBudapest, 2011

Page 40, left sidePromotional bookmark, Human Library Wroclaw, Poland© Dorota Kuentzel, Incontro, 2009

Page 40, rigt sideA guest reads information about the Human Library,Darmstadt, Germany© Netzwerk ROPE e.V., 2011

Page 42, left sideConsulting the catalogue at Ljubljana Living Library,Slovenia© Drustvo Informacijski Center Legebitra, 2008

Page 43, right sideThe Living Library tent, Tbilisi, Georgia© Youth Association DRONI, 2011

Page 46, left sidePoster of the Human Library Darmstadt, Germany© Netzwerk ROPE e.V., 2010

Page 46, right sidePromotional poster «Pick a homosexual», HumanLibrary Wroc³aw, Poland© Dorota Kuentzel, Incontro, 2010

Page 47, left sideLiving Library in a cafeteria, Prague, Czech Republic© OPIM - Organisation Supporting the Integration ofMinorities, 2007

Page 47, right sideBooks having a rest at Sziget Festival, Budapest, HungaryCourtesy: Péter Wootsch, 2008

Page 48, right sideBooks and readers at Ljubljana Living Library,Slovenia© Drustvo Informacijski Center Legebitra, 2008

Page 49, right sideBooks «on a shelf», relaxing after the talks withreaders, Human Library Wroclaw, Poland© Dorota Kuentzel, Incontro, 2009

Page 50, left sideLiving Library in the Night of Open Monuments,Budapest, Hungary© Council of Europe, European Youth CentreBudapest, 2007

Page 50, right sideIndoor literature café within festival Dialogue ofCultures, Budapest, Hungary© Council of Europe, European Youth CentreBudapest, 2007

Page 51, left sideLibrarians and readers at the Swiss Cottage CentralLibrary, London, United Kingdom© The HUMAN Library Organisation, 2008

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Page 51, right sideLibrarian and reader at the Swiss Cottage CentralLibrary, London, United Kingdom© The HUMAN Library Organisation, 2008

Page 52, right sideReading a Book, Tbilisi, Georgia© Youth Association DRONI, 2011

Page 53, left sideConversation of a Book and a reader at SzigetFestival, Budapest, Hungary© Council of Europe, European Youth CentreBudapest, 2003

Page 53, right sideBooks and readers having fun at Sziget Festival,Budapest, Hungary© Council of Europe, European Youth CentreBudapest, 2011

Page 54, left sideBooks receiving the T-shirts at European YouthCentre Budapest, Hungary© Council of Europe, European Youth CentreBudapest, 2011

Page 54, right side; page 55, left sideBooks in the briefing meeting at European YouthCentre Budapest, Hungary© Council of Europe, European Youth CentreBudapest, 2011

Page 55, right sideBooks among themselves at the Swiss CottageCentral Library, London, United Kingdom© The HUMAN Library Organisation, 2008

Page 56, right sideConversation of the Jewish Young Person Book and areader at Sziget Festival, Budapest, Hungary© Council of Europe, European Youth CentreBudapest, 2011

Page 57, left sideLibrarians and readers at Sziget Festival, Budapest,Hungary© Council of Europe, European Youth CentreBudapest, 2011

Page 57, right sideLibrarians at Sziget Festival Budapest, Hungary© Council of Europe, European Youth CentreBudapest, 2011

Page 58, left sideBlind Book and Homeless Book at Sziget FestivalBudapest, Hungary© Council of Europe, European Youth CentreBudapest, 2011

Page 58, right sideLibrarian and readers at Sziget Festival Budapest,Hungary© Council of Europe, European Youth CentreBudapest, 2011

Page 59, left side; 63 right side; page 64, left sideFilling out the Europe Quiz, Sziget Festival,Budapest, Hungary© Council of Europe, European Youth CentreBudapest, 2011

Page 59, right sideTake away materials at Sziget Festival, Budapest,Hungary© Council of Europe, European Youth CentreBudapest, 2006

Page 60, left sidePart of the leaflet front page of Living Library, Tbilisi,Georgia© Youth Association DRONI, 2011

Page 60, right sidePoster of the Living Library held in the Palais del’Europe World Refugee Day, Strasbourg, France© Council of Europe, 2011

Page 61, left sidePart of the Living Library poster, Ljubljana, Slovenia© Drustvo Informacijski Center Legebitra, 2008

Page 61, right sidePoster of the Human Library Darmstadt, Germany© Netzwerk ROPE e.V., 2011

Page 62, left sideAfrican Black Person Book being filmed, SzigetFestival, Budapest, Hungary© Council of Europe, European Youth CentreBudapest, 2011

Page 62, right side; page 34, right sideConversation under documentation, Sziget Festival,Budapest, Hungary© Council of Europe, European Youth CentreBudapest, 2011

Page 63, left sideGay Book speaking to the microphone, SzigetFestival, Budapest, Hungary© Council of Europe, European Youth CentreBudapest, 2011

Page 65, left sideSeveral readers reading a Book at Sziget Festival,Budapest, Hungary© Council of Europe, European Youth CentreBudapest, 2006

Page 65, right sideLiving Library team preparing the venue at SzigetFestival, Budapest, Hungary© Council of Europe, European Youth CentreBudapest, 2003

Page 66-67Leaflet front page of Living Library, Tbilisi, Georgia© Youth Association DRONI, 2011

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The Living Library is an equalities tool that seeks to challenge prejudice and discrimination.It works just like a normal library: visitors can browse the catalogue for the available titles,choose the Book they want to read, and borrow it for a limited period of time. After reading,they return the Book to the library and, if they want, they can borrow another. The only difference is that in the Living Library, Books are people, and reading consists ofa conversation. Originating in Denmark, The Living Library became part of the Council of Europe'sprogramme in 2003 and the driving force behind its inclusion was the realisation thathuman rights cannot be defended and promoted by legal texts alone. There is - today morethan ever in the recent past - a need to raise awareness among the wider public about theimportance of human rights to the fabric of our democracies and the responsibility of theindividual citizen in realizing abstract human rights in his or her everyday interactions.Through its 40-year history, Council of Europe's youth sector has gathered unique andimportant experience in the field of non-formal and intercultural education based on theprinciples of human rights, pluralist democracy, and cultural diversity. With this publication, the Council of Europe aims to continue its support and promotion ofthe methodology of the Living Library. We believe that the Living Library remains a uniquelyuseful tool to foster peaceful coexistence, understanding, and tolerance and to bringpeople closer together in mutual respect for the human dignity of the individual - whetheras books, readers, or organisers.

The Council of Europe has 47 member states, covering virtually the entirecontinent of Europe. It seeks to develop common democratic and legalprinciples based on the European Convention of Human Rights and otherreference texts on the protection of individuals.

Youth Departmentwww.coe.int/[email protected]

ISBN 978-92-871-7321-8

29/US$58

EYCB Living Library borito.qxd 2012.01.19. 21:14 Page 2

Documents

Human Library Organizers Guide 2011